Goal is to bring in 4 million tourists annually by end of term: Minister Faisal

The aim of this government is to bring in three and half to four million tourists annually by the end of the ongoing presidential term, said Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal today.

In the Minister's message on the occasion of World Tourism Day today, he said that many important steps would be taken towards tourism promotion in the country under the guidance of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

He also stressed that what's needed most right now is making Velana International Airport (VIA)'s new terminal operational, adding that it would open in December this year.

The Minister said the new terminal would serve seven million tourists and that it would benefit the tourism industry, improving inbound tourist numbers next year.

He also said that this, the five-year target of four million tourists per year would also likely be met.

“By the end of these five years, we will achieve our target of taking the Maldives arrival numbers [to] 3.5 million tourists or 4 million tourists,” Faisal said.

The Minister also said that they would take full advantage of the new terminal's opening, and double down on marketing activities to increase occupancy and tourist expenditure while on holiday in the country.

The tourism sector currently brings in USD 4.5 billion into the country on an annual basis, the Minister said, revealing that the government also plans to increase this figure up to USD six billion.

According to a recent report by the World Bank, Maldives' tourism growth was slowed down in 2023 due to a decline in average duration of stay and lower tourist spending.