International business news outlet Bloomberg has reported that 18 superyachts arrived in the Maldives in the first week of 2023.
Bloomberg stated that its tracking data showed that 18 superyachts traveled to the Maldives, while only two superyachts visited two months ago. As such, the Maldives has welcomed more yachts than Hong Kong and Singapore combined and outpaced Thailand, which saw 18 yacht arrivals.
Ministry of Tourism stated that owners of superyachts travel to the Maldives as the tourist establishments prioritise the privacy of celebrities and billionaires staying at resorts. The Maldives Association of Yacht Agency (MAYA) has revealed that nine cruise ships carrying 12,000 passengers will be arriving this year. MAYA stated that the cruise industry is slowly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and that cruise ships have scheduled trips to the Maldives.