Australian tourist arrivals in the Maldives have surged, elevating the nation to the ninth-largest source of visitors to the island nation, recent government data indicate. As of 6 June, 20,878 Australian tourists had visited the Maldives, representing a 16 per cent increase compared with the 17,957 Australian arrivals recorded at the close of last year, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
This growth has propelled Australia into the top nine source markets for the Maldives, rising from the tenth position just one month ago. The broader hierarchy of international arrivals is currently led by China, followed by Russia and the United Kingdom in the second and third positions, respectively. European and Asian nations largely round out the leading sources of tourism, with Italy ranking fourth, Germany fifth, India sixth, and France seventh. The United States holds the eighth position, while Australia now ranks ninth, placing it just ahead of Switzerland, which completes the top ten.
The expanding market coincided with the national carrier, Maldivian, initiating direct flight operations to Australia last month. The new route connects Malé directly with Melbourne, operating on a once-a-week schedule. Under the current itinerary, outbound flights depart from the Maldives on Sundays, with return flights leaving Australia on Tuesdays, completing an 11-hour journey.
Demand for the flights initiated to Australia remains robust, with representatives for Maldivian estimating that 11,000 tourists from the country can be brought to the Maldives within a year.