The one millionth tourist to visit the Maldives this year, Anton Pavlov, said he hopes to return to the Maldives next year as the two millionth tourist.
Speaking to reporters during a ceremony at Velana International Airport, Anton said he had never imagined anything like this when he came to Maldives with his family.
"Very happy. This is not what I expected. Thank you for the warm welcome. This is my first time in Maldives," Anton said.
"I already want to come back to Maldives next year as the two millionth tourist," Anton said.
Anton from Russia arrived on a British Airways flight on Sunday and was greeted by Tourism Minister Dr. Abdulla Mausoom and Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) Managing Director Thoyyib Mohamed.
Pavlov was accompanied by his partner Anastasia Klinsky and their child. The family is spending their holiday at the Vakkaru Maldives resort.
India has been the largest source market for tourists this year followed by Russia and the United Kingdom.
Tourist arrivals up to July 12
- India - 115,837
- Russia - 115,334
- United Kingdom - 83,942
- China - 74,348
- Germany - 68,484
- Italy - 66,007
- United States - 41,072
- France -30,916
- Switzerland - 20,624
- Australia - 18,088
Tourist arrivals are 13.6 percent higher compared to last year, according to statistics released by the tourism ministry.
