Tourist arrivals have increased in early July, according to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
According to the ministry, a total of 22,636 visitors were recorded between 1 and 4 July, a 1.5 percent increase compared with the 22,297 arrivals during the same period last year.
Daily arrivals also increased during the first four days of July, averaging about 5,000 tourists per day so far this month, compared with around 3,000 per day in June. A total of 6,434 tourist arrivals were recorded on 4 July, the highest daily total this month so far.
Daily arrivals for July:
- 1 July: 5,260
- 2 July: 5,568
- 3 July: 5,374
- 4 July: 6,434
China remains the Maldives’ largest source market, with 174,201 visitors thus far this year. This accounts for 16.3 percent of the market share.
The top five source markets are:
2. China – 174,201
4. Russia – 154,198
5. United Kingdom – 87,768
7. Italy – 74,456
8. Germany – 68,079
Total tourist arrivals for this year reached 1,092,518 as of 4 July, a slight decline compared with the same period last year.
The government aims to sustain tourism growth, while tourism industry experts expect further expansion despite challenges linked to unrest in the Middle East.