Maldives Tourist Arrivals Down Four Per Cent Year-on-Year as 2026 Volume Nears 1.5 Million
The country recorded approximately 1.46 million total visitors as of September 2, 2026. | Photo: VIA
Total visitor arrivals to the Maldives declined by nearly four per cent during the first eight months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, despite sustained growth in key European and Asian markets.
According to the latest weekly tourism update by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, the country recorded approximately 1.46 million total visitors as of September 2, 2026, down from roughly 1.52 million recorded over the same period in 2025. These figures encompass short-term tourists, business travelers, and cruise ship passengers.
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Market performance data highlights China as the leading source market with an 18.7 per cent share totaling 268,117 visitors, followed by Russia at 14.6% with 209,815 visitors, and the United Kingdom at 7.7 per cent with 110,983 visitors.
In terms of lodging choices, resorts hosted the vast majority of tourists at 73.5 per cent or 1.05 million visitors, while guesthouses accommodated 22.1 per cent or 317,178 tourists.
Operational bed capacity reached 68,580 beds across 1,326 facilities, while Velana International Airport remained the primary gateway by processing 97.8 per cent of all international entries into the country.
The decline in overall visitor numbers stemmed largely from the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran war following February, which caused broader economic disruption and led to a sharp increase in oil prices.
In response to the conflict and its wider regional fallout, multiple airlines scaled back operations or suspended services entirely to affected routes. Consequently, the disruption and suspension of several Middle Eastern flight connections to the Maldives and neighboring destinations directly weighed on the country’s total tourist arrivals throughout the period.
