Ministry of Tourism has revealed the total number of tourist arrivals in 2021 was 138% higher compared to the previous year.
Statistics from the tourism ministry show 1.3 million tourists visited the Maldives in 2021, with a daily average of 3,622 arrivals. The number of arrivals in 2021 was a significant increase compared to the 555,494 tourist visits recorded in 2020, with a daily average of 2,128 arrivals. The highest number of tourist arrivals in 2021 were recorded from India with 22.1% of the total visits. Russia was second with 16.8% of total arrivals and the UK was third with 7.2% of total arrivals recorded in 2021.
The Maldivian tourism industry has seen steady and significant progress since reopening the borders in July 2020. The 1.3 millionth tourist visitor milestone was achieved on December 27, which also saw a new single-day record for tourist arrivals since border reopening, with 7,098 tourist arrivals. The tourism ministry has stated 2021 has been a very successful year for Maldives tourism, with tourist bed capacity increasing by 9.4% and the bed nights exceeding 11 million, breaking the previous record of 10.7 million nights.
The Maldives also secured the title of World's Leading Destination at the 2021 World Travel Awards, globally recognised as the hallmark of industry excellence. It was the second consecutive year that the Maldives had successfully earned the prestigious title.
The year also marks the Golden Jubilee of tourism in the Maldives. Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has planned over 60 in-person events for the year 2022, including 17 fairs, roadshows, and events scheduled for just the first quarter.
The government and stakeholders of the tourism industry aim to register two million tourist arrivals during 2022.