Three European countries have clinched the top spots in the tourism source markets for Maldives so far this year.
Russia, Italy and the UK were the top source markets as of Tuesday, according to statistics released by the Tourism Ministry yesterday.
These three countries have traditionally been the top source markets for Maldives before Chinese and Indian tourist figures grew in recent years.
Tourist arrival from January 1 to 16
- Russia - 11,778
- Italy - 11,094
- United Kingdom - 7,672
Russia, Italy and India were the top source markets during the same period last year. India is now fourth with 7,633 tourists while 8,139 Indian tourists visited in 2023.
Although the number of tourists from India is lower compared to 2023, an assessment by the Maldives Association for Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) shows that India's campaign for the Maldives tourism boycott has not had much impact.
A total of 96,077 tourists have arrived so far this year with an average of 6,000 tourists a day.
This is an increase of 10.2 percent compared to the 81,772 tourists that visited during the same period last year.
