Maldives records 1.29 million tourist arrivals as of July, 9.5% y-o-y hike

A total of 1.29 million tourists visited the Maldives as of Wednesday, reflecting a 9.5% increase compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism on Friday.

Data from the Ministry show that 180,438 tourists arrived during July alone, marking an 11.8% increase compared to July last year.

The Ministry stated that the Maldives is currently receiving an average of more than 6,000 tourists per day.

Accommodation preferences among tourists indicate that:

• 73% stayed in resorts
• 22% stayed in guesthouses
• 2% chose hotels and safari vessels

The top 10 countries with the highest number of tourist arrivals to the Maldives in the first seven months of the year are:

1. China – 188,317 tourists (14.6% increase from last year)
2. Russia – 152,385 tourists (11.8% increase)
3. United Kingdom – 120,937 tourists (9.4% increase)
4. Italy – 93,024 tourists (7.2% increase)
5. Germany – 91,364 tourists (7.1% increase)
6. India – 75,376 tourists (5.8% increase)
7. United States – 39,546 tourists (3.1% increase)
8. France – 37,496 tourists (2.9% increase)
9. Spain – 25,555 tourists (2% increase)
10. Switzerland – 25,404 tourists (2% increase)

The government has set a target of 2.5 million tourist arrivals for this year.