Tourist arrivals in March has shown a 23 percent decrease.
According to Tourism Ministry statistics, 58,900 tourists arrived in Maldives between March 1 and 13. The same period last year saw 77,100 tourist arrivals recorded. This year's figure has decreased by 19,000 arrivals, which amounts to 23 percent.
March generally sees a high number of arrivals each year. However, the war escalating in the Middle East has led to main routes of travel to Maldives shut down. Dubai and Qatar are major transit points for tourists from Europe traveling to Maldives.
Such a sharp decline in tourist arrivals will affect Maldives' tourism revenue.
So far this year, Maldives has recorded 540,000 tourist arrivals, which is a 6 percent increase compared to the previous year.
The highest number of tourist arrivals this year is from China, followed by Russia and Italy.
Most tourists visiting Maldives stay in resorts, with the number this year at 363,000 tourists. Another 141,000 tourists opted to stay at guesthouses.
