Tourism arrivals for 2022 reached half a million on 14 April with the United Kingdom as the top market for the first time.
Announcing the milestone, the tourism ministry extended congratulations and thanks to “all who contribute and support Maldives tourism.”
According to the latest update, total arrivals stood at 498,235 as of 13 April, up 45.3% from the same period last year but -9.7% below pre-pandemic levels. The average duration of stay was 8.5 days.
Some 65,683 holidaymakers from the UK accounted for a market share of 13.2% followed by India (54,532), Russia (53,716), Germany (43,875) and Italy (34,220).
Formerly the top market with 44,055 holidaymakers as of 2 March, arrivals from Russia have fallen by 70% since the start of the war in Ukraine in late February. Russia was the second-largest source market in 2021 with 222,424 tourists, 2.7 times higher than pre-pandemic levels. Also a top market before the war, Ukraine has now dropped from the top ten. Ukraine was previously the seventh-largest market with 7,948 tourists by March 2022.
As of 13 April, there were 164 resorts, 656 hotels and guesthouses, and 150 safari vessels in operation in the Maldives, representing a combined capacity of 54,662 beds. At present, 27 international flights operate to the Maldives.
