Maldives aims for 2 million tourists in 2024

The Tourism Minister of Maldives, Ahmed Faisal, has announced that the island nation is expecting to attract two million tourists by 2024, despite the global uncertainties caused by the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Faisal made the statement on Saturday evening, on the ‘Raajje Miadhu’ programme of the state-owned Public Service Media (PSM). He said that the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) and the Ministry of Tourism are working together to strengthen the marketing of Maldives’s tourism to the outside world.

He said that travel is increasing worldwide, and that Maldives can benefit from targeting specific countries with its unique offerings. He cited China as an example, saying that it was Maldives’s largest market before the Covid-19 pandemic, and that the two governments will enhance their relations to boost the number of Chinese tourists coming to Maldives.

“I am very optimistic that we can add enough tourists from China and reach over two million domestic arrivals by 2024, unless there is a major disaster or something in the world,” Faisal said.

He also revealed that around 12 new resorts are expected to open in Maldives next year, adding around 1,000 beds to the existing capacity. He said that Maldives has already achieved its target of 1.8 million tourists this month, showing a strong recovery from the impact of Covid-19.