The tourist arrivals have registered a decline in February compared to the same month of last year.
Statistics of Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) revealed tourist arrivals registered an annual decline of 11% in February 2020, while bed nights fell by 3%. The decline in tourist arrivals during the month largely reflected the decrease in arrivals from Asia and the Pacific region, particularly from China, due to the travel restrictions imposed by the government on arrivals from China, as a measure to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, arrivals from Europe observed a sizeable growth, driven by growth in arrivals from Russia and Italy. MMA said it is noteworthy that arrivals from all major source markets from Europe registered growth over the period.
MMA revealed during the review period, the operational bed capacity of the tourism industry increased by 14%, while the occupancy rate fell to 67% in February 2020 from 82% in February 2019. Overall, for the period of January to February 2020, total tourist arrivals increased by 1% in annual terms, while total bed nights of the industry observed an increase of 6%.