Maldives’ tourist arrivals rise 2.6% after 3-month decline linked to Middle East conflict

Tourist arrivals to the Maldives have returned to growth after three months of decline linked to disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism show that 122,548 tourists arrived in the Maldives up to last Wednesday this month, representing a 2.6 per cent increase compared with the same period last year.

The recovery follows a period of reduced arrivals after conflict-related disruptions affected air travel through the Middle East. Airspace closures in several countries and the suspension of flights by a number of airlines disrupted key transit routes used by travellers visiting the Maldives.

Despite the recent improvement, total arrivals for the year remain below last year’s level. A total of 923,984 tourists visited the Maldives so far this year, compared with 962,242 during the corresponding period in 2025, representing a decline of 4 per cent.

Tourism figures show that arrivals increased by 5 per cent in January and 15.7 per cent in February. However, arrivals fell by 20.7 per cent in March and 24.4 per cent in April following the escalation of conflict in the region.

China remains the Maldives’ largest source market this year, followed by Russia and the United Kingdom. More than 100,000 visitors have arrived from both China and Russia, while arrivals from the United Kingdom total 79,473.

India ranks sixth among source markets, contributing 50,747 visitors so far this year.

Of the tourists who visited the Maldives this year, 640,988 stayed at resorts, while 218,773 stayed at guesthouses.

Tourism industry associations have previously stated that the impact of the conflict on travel demand resulted in losses estimated at around US$500 million for the sector. Industry groups have called for government assistance to support recovery efforts.

The government has said it is working to minimise the impact of the downturn and is expanding promotional activities in alternative source markets to attract more visitors.