Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has stated that even though tourism in Maldives saw major losses in the first three months of 2026 due to the Middle East war, estimates show that the industry will not be at a lower point compared to 2025.

While answering a question posed by an MP during today's Parliament sitting, the minister said Maldivian tourism was severely affected in March and April 2026 due to the war, and that is because Maldivian tourism is heavily dependent on Middle Eastern airlines. He said that there was a 24 percent or 25 percent drop in tourism for Maldives in those two months.

According to the minister, the government and the industry cooperated to aid airlines in mitigating losses, with the efforts showing significant progress this month.

"Even though there were losses over three months, our current projections show that our efforts will result in higher numbers compared to 2025 by the third or fourth quarter. If the numbers are not lower than 2025 even with the inclusion of such a major decline over three months, it will be a significant achievement for Maldives," said Ameen.

Minister Ameen went on to say that 2025 was the most successful year for Maldivian tourism, and that there was significant progress in January 2026 and February 2026 compared to last year. However, he stated that there were major losses due to the war because Maldivian tourism has been heavily built upon the Middle East.

As per the minister, losses were mitigated due to the combined efforts of the cabinet created by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and the tourism industry, with them analyzing the state of the war and taking the appropriate steps. These include providing aid to airlines under a specialized plan and setting up a system where airlines can fly to Maldives via a route other than the Middle East.

He also stated that the efforts from the industry and the government were exceptional.