The Maldives has welcomed over 700,000 tourists so far this year, with China emerging as the leading source market for visitors.
According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, a total of 704,711 tourists have visited the Maldives year-to-date. This represents a slight decline of 1.3 per cent compared with the same period last year, a downturn primarily attributed to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The monthly breakdown of tourist arrivals for this year is as follows: January (227,403), February (254,556), March (166,616), and April, with 56,136 arrivals recorded up to 11 April.
An analysis of individual markets indicates that European countries continue to dominate the top five source markets for Maldivian tourism.
The five leading source markets are: China (103,212), Russia (87,340), the United Kingdom (67,012), Italy (60,204), and Germany (47,520).
Further data reveals that the vast majority of visitors; totalling 694,360, arrived in the Maldives by air, while 10,351 tourists arrived via sea routes. At present, there are 1,301 tourist establishments in operation across the country, with a combined bed capacity exceeding 67,000.