Spanish visitor becomes Maldives’ one millionth tourist this year
The Maldives welcomed its one millionth tourist of 2026 on Saturday, marking a key milestone for the country’s tourism industry.
The visitor was identified as Almudena Ortuño Esparza of Spain, who arrived at Velana International Airport on a Qatar Airways flight.
A ceremony was held at the airport to mark the occasion. The event was attended by Tourism Minister Mohamed Ameen, Managing Director of Visit Maldives Ibrahim Shiuree and senior officials from Maldives Airports Company Limited.
“Today we welcome our one millionth tourist of 2026, a milestone that is all the more significant given the pressures this sector has faced this year,” stated the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Ameen. “The Middle East conflict disrupted our most important air corridors and put real strain on the industry for several months. That we are here today is a reflection of the hard work and commitment of everyone in this sector, and I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone in this industry. I am hopeful for what the rest of 2026 holds.”
Ibrahim Shiuree, CEO and Managing Director of Visit Maldives Corporation added: “Welcoming our one millionth tourist within the same period as last year is an encouraging achievement, particularly given the disruptions affecting international travel in recent months. The Maldives tourism industry has once again demonstrated its resilience and agility.”
“In response to the changing operating environment, we immediately intensified our marketing efforts across key source markets, particularly India, China and Russia, while continuing to diversify our outreach in emerging markets. These proactive measures, coupled with the close collaboration between stakeholders across the tourism sector, have enabled us to maintain growth momentum and reinforce the Maldives’ position as one of the world’s leading destinations. We remain confident in achieving our targets for the year and look forward to welcoming even more visitors to the Sunny Side of Life.”
The one million visitor mark was reached later than in 2025, when the milestone was achieved during the first week of June.
Tourism arrivals this year have been affected by developments in the Middle East. According to available figures, arrivals are down by around 5 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year.
The Maldives is currently receiving approximately 5,000 visitors per day on average.
The government has set a target of attracting 2.5 million tourists by the end of 2026.
However, industry observers have noted that ongoing disruptions to international travel and aviation linked to the conflict in the Middle East may affect the pace of arrivals during the remainder of the year.
Tourism remains the Maldives’ largest source of foreign currency earnings and a key contributor to economic activity.
