Tourists’ Duration of Stay in Maldives Declines as Year Continues

The average duration of stay for tourists in Maldives has slowly declined since the beginning of the year. In January 2023, the average duration of stay was an impressive 8.1 days. The average duration of stay in February dropped slightly to 8 days. In March and April, the average stay was 7.8  and 7.6 days, respectively. In the first half of May, the average duration of stay is 7.3 days.

During the pandemic, the average duration of stay increased significantly. Stricter entry, travel and quarantine requirements during this period translated to less frequent international trips. For many who traveled, the extra hassle was compensated with longer holidays. In the Maldives, the average duration of stay in 2021 and 2022 increased to 8.8 days and 8 days, respectively.

Prior to the pandemic, the average duration of stay in 2018 and 2019 was 6.4 and 6.3 days, respectively. The trend observed this year of slowly decreasing average stay as the year goes on is not normally observed in the Maldives. The average duration of stay tends to fluctuate by +/- a couple of tenths of a day each month. Perhaps the slow but steady decline in average duration of stay is an indication of the tourism industry returning to pre-pandemic tendencies. With less travel restrictions, travelers are more comfortable booking more frequent but shorter trips.

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