Gov’t Efforts Help Ease Decline in Tourist Arrivals, Says Minister Ameen

Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen said government measures had helped mitigate the decline in tourist arrivals to the Maldives following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

Speaking at a press conference held by the Special Cabinet Committee on Middle East Tensions at the President’s Office today, Ameen said 2025 had been the strongest year for tourism arrivals in the Maldives.

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Compared with the same periods last year, tourist arrivals declined by 22.5 per cent in March and 26.5 per cent in April this year. However, Ameen said authorities had been working with Middle Eastern partners and other stakeholders to sustain and increase arrivals to the Maldives.

The measures included identifying alternative travel routes for tourists arriving from Europe and exploring new tourism markets. Officials said the decline in tourist arrivals narrowed to 8.9 per cent in May.

“What I’m saying is that the impact from the past is about 17 percent higher than everyone’s work,” Ameen said.

He described the easing of the decline under the current circumstances as a positive outcome and credited it to the strategic direction of President Mohamed Muizzu, as well as the efforts of government ministries, state institutions and tourism industry stakeholders.

Ameen highlighted the introduction of direct flights to new destinations, including Australia, with the new route launched this week. He also said summer seat capacity had increased by 2 per cent.

The minister said weekly flight cancellations to the Maldives had dropped from 99 flights to cancellations in the 70s. Although operations had not yet returned to levels seen before the start of the war with Iran, he said the reduction marked an improvement.

He added that five major Middle Eastern airlines had resumed operations to the Maldives and were currently operating routes to the country, contributing to improvements in the tourism and aviation sectors.

Ameen also pointed to the government’s decision to acquire wide-body aircraft for the national airline, Maldivian, stating that the move had strengthened the country’s ability to reduce economic losses during a period of global uncertainty.

However, on May 10, the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators and the National Hotels and Guesthouses Association of Maldives jointly called on the government, relevant authorities, financial institutions and tourism stakeholders to introduce urgent crisis support measures to stabilise the tourism industry and protect local businesses.

In a joint statement, the associations expressed concern over the continued decline in tourist arrivals and growing economic pressure on the tourism sector. They called for special loan facilities and emergency financing schemes tailored for local tourism businesses, particularly guesthouses and small and medium enterprises facing difficulties accessing traditional banking services.

The associations also requested interest-free moratoriums, loan restructuring support, tax deferrals and fee waivers to help businesses manage current financial challenges.

The following day, President Muizzu said the government was reviewing possible support measures for the tourism industry after industry associations reported losses exceeding USD 500 million linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking during the weekly media briefing at the President’s Office, Muizzu said the matter was being examined by the ministerial committee established to assess issues arising from the conflict. He added that the committee was consulting tourism industry stakeholders before determining what form of assistance could be provided.