Tourist arrivals decline by 5 percent compared to last year

Jun 20, 2026, 5:55 PM
A group of tourists at the wooden jetty area in Hulhumalé.

A group of tourists at the wooden jetty area in Hulhumalé.

Tourist arrivals have declined by five percent compared to the same period last year, according to the latest statistics from the Tourism Ministry.

As of June 18, the Maldives recorded 1,011,473 tourist arrivals. During the same period last year, the figure stood at 1,063,894. This represents a 4.9 percent decrease in tourist arrivals.

Arrival figures for June so far are also lower than the same period in the past two years. In June 2024, the Maldives welcomed 69,317 tourists, while 80,909 tourists arrived during the same month in 2025. This year, June arrivals currently stand at 67,482, marking a 16.6 percent decline.

While the Maldives saw high arrival numbers in January and February, the industry was significantly impacted by the conflict involving Iran that began in March. Following a 20 percent decline across March and April, tourism numbers showed a slight recovery in May with a 1.7 percent growth.

Ten countries account for 68 percent of all tourist arrivals to the Maldives. China remains the top source market, followed by Russia in second place. These are the only two nations from which arrivals have exceeded 100,000.

Current data suggests that reaching the record-breaking arrival figures of 2025 is unlikely. However, projections indicate that total arrivals for the year are expected to remain closely aligned with the figures recorded in 2024.

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