Maldives expects seven airlines to launch seasonal flights in fourth quarter

Seven airlines are expected to begin operating flights to the Maldives during the final quarter of this year as the tourism industry prepares for the peak season, Tourism Minister Mohamed Ameen said on Thursday.

Ameen made the remarks at a press conference held at the President’s Office for selected media outlets. Dhauru was among the media organisations that were not invited.

The minister said the government and tourism industry were working together to increase tourist arrivals during the final quarter despite challenges arising from the conflict in the Middle East.

He said airlines from Russia, Bulgaria, Vietnam and Armenia were expected to begin services to the Maldives during the period, alongside Ethiopian Airlines, French airline French bee and Kuwait Airways.

“These are significant additions to our market,” Ameen said. “We are therefore quite confident that the final season will be a good one.”

According to the minister, two of the seven airlines have previously operated seasonal services to the Maldives.

Ameen said tourist arrivals had been affected earlier in the year, with arrivals during March, April and May falling by 24 per cent compared with the same period last year.

However, he said the decline had since narrowed to 2.6 per cent compared with last year and predicted a further improvement as the peak tourism season approaches.

“Based on what we are seeing, the outlook for the final quarter is very promising,” Ameen said. “Looking at the figures, tourist arrivals should not fall below last year’s level.”

The Maldives received 2.25 million tourists last year.

About 1.49 million tourists have visited the country so far this year, compared with around 1.55 million during the corresponding period last year.

The government has been seeking to expand air connectivity and strengthen tourism demand as it works to offset the impact of external factors affecting travel markets.