Tourist arrivals to the Maldives have increased by 2.2 percent compared with the same period last year, with China remaining the leading source market.
Tourists in Maldives - Photo: Corporate Maldives
A total of 1.43 million tourists have visited the Maldives so far this year, marking a 2.2 percent increase compared with the same period last year, according to Tourism Ministry statistics.
Of the total, 172,487 tourists arrived in August up to Wednesday, surpassing the number recorded during the first 26 days of August last year.
China remained the Maldives’ largest source market with 262,120 arrivals, followed by Russia with 205,187.
More than 100,000 tourists also arrived from the United Kingdom, while Italy recorded 91,798 arrivals.
Resorts remained the preferred accommodation, with around 1.03 million tourists staying at resorts, while 310,476 stayed at guesthouses.
The tourism sector has faced challenges from disruptions to travel routes following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, which led to delays and cancellations and pushed up travel costs.