The Maldives is celebrating a historic milestone as it records its highest single-day tourist arrivals, with an unprecedented influx of 10,213 visitors from various nations.
Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal conveyed his congratulations to all involved in facilitating this remarkable achievement, highlighting the collective effort behind the country's thriving tourism sector.
Saturday witnessed a remarkable surge, with nearly 9,000 tourists arriving, eclipsing the daily arrival figures of the past fortnight, which averaged 8,000.
This surge is part of a broader trend, with the Maldives experiencing an average daily arrival of 7,300 tourists this month. The cumulative tourist count for the year has surpassed 200,000, representing a notable 14% increase compared to the same period last year.
China leads the charge as the primary source of tourist arrivals, with Italy and Russia closely following as significant contributors.
Efforts to sustain this growth include discussions on initiating additional flights to the Maldives. Currently, Beijing Capital Airlines, China Eastern, and Sichuan Airlines operate direct flights connecting China and the Maldives.
While the government aims to attract two million tourists this year, the tourism ministry sets its sights even higher, targeting 2.3 million tourists during the same period, underscoring the sector's resilience and potential for further expansion.