The Maldivian tourism sector continues its robust performance this year, with official data confirming that tourist arrivals from Russia have exceeded the 200,000 mark, cementing the country’s position as the second-largest source market for the island nation.
According to statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, 203,737 Russian tourists had visited the archipelago as of 5 October, a figure that accounts for 12.2 percent of the total international arrivals. Russia now sits securely behind only China, which currently holds the top spot with 274,698 arrivals.
The latest figures highlight the intense market competition at the top, though key European nations maintain strong representation in the top five.
Following China and Russia, the largest source markets are the United Kingdom (146,805 tourists), Germany (117,406 tourists), and Italy (113,719 tourists).
Overall tourism figures demonstrate significant acceleration, with Maldives recording a total of 1.6 million visitor arrivals so far this year. This represents a 10 percent increase when compared to the corresponding period last year. The globally renowned tourist destination is currently registering an average of 6,500 visitors daily.
With the current momentum, the government is on track to meet its ambitious annual goal with Maldives needing to attract the 600,000 more tourists to hit the year-end target of 2.2 million total arrivals.