With the target of two million tourist arrivals achieved this year, the Ministry of Tourism has set a goal of attracting 2.3 million visitors to the Maldives next year.

Welcoming the two millionth tourist to the Maldives today, Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal expressed optimism about the country's ability to meet next year's target, which represents a 15% increase in arrivals.

"I am very confident that we will achieve our target of 15% growth next year. This will also lead to a significant increase in revenue," he said.

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) will focus on exploring new tourism markets in the coming year, with plans already in place to support this, said the Minister.

This year's two millionth tourist, an Austrian woman, was welcomed at Velana International Airport along with her family. The family was gifted a six-day holiday at Sai Lagoon Maldives.

In the 52-year history of tourism in the Maldives, this marks the first time two million tourists have visited the country in a single year. It was also the fastest year for the Maldives to reach the one million tourist milestone.

Last year, 1.8 million tourists visited the Maldives, while in 2022, the figure stood at 1.6 million. This year, the largest number of tourists came from China, Russia, and the UK.

The new terminal at Velana International Airport is expected to further boost tourism numbers next year, contributing to the country's ambitious targets.