Maldives to reach tourist arrival target of 1.8 million today

The total number of tourists arriving in the Maldives will reach 1.8 million today, meeting last year's budgeted target.

A special ceremony will be held this afternoon to commemorate the occasion. According to Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the Maldives is expected to reach its 1.8 million tourist arrival target with the flight scheduled to arrive in the Maldives at 2:55 p.m. A flight from Qatar and Emirates has also been scheduled for Velana International Airport at that time.

While 1.8 million tourist arrivals were placed in the budget this year, the previous government's target was to attract 1.9 million tourists by the end of 2023. This figure will be achieved by bringing in 10,000 tourists within the remaining 10 days of this year. However, it is unlikely that this target can be achieved.

The largest number of tourist arrivals so far this year came from Russia, with the country receiving 200,000 tourists. India followed with 199,000, and China, the third-largest source market, had 183,000 tourist arrivals so far this year.

Tourists spent an average of 7.4 days in the Maldives this month, which is comparatively lower than the average days spent in November. This is also six percent lower than the corresponding month in 2022. In January and February this year, during the peak season, the average stay stood at 8 days.

Last year, tourists spent an average of eight days in the Maldives. However, this year, the average stay stood at 7.6 days.