Ministry of Tourism has revealed the number of tourist visits so far this year has surpassed the total number of tourist arrivals in 2020. The statistics from the tourism ministry show that 559,000 tourists have visited the Maldives as of July 17, which is the same number of tourist arrivals recorded in 2020.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom said the goal is to bring in 1.3 million tourists by the end of this year. The ministry initially expected to record around 750,000 tourist arrivals but it now hopes to see 1.3 million visits by the end of the year, he said.
Tourist arrivals to the Maldives have significantly increased after the government resumed giving out tourist visas for South Asian travellers on July 15.
Minister Mausoom said 23% of tourists arrive from South Asian countries, and that he expects the number of arrivals to increase in the coming days as more South Asians visit the Maldives. The ministry has recently recorded a daily average of 5,000 tourist arrivals and that demand to visit the Maldives is still increasing, he added.
The government has been working with key stakeholders in the Maldives tourism industry to conduct worldwide marketing campaigns to promote the country as a top travel destination.