Maldives tourist arrivals fall 5 percent in first half of 2026

Tourist arrivals to the Maldives fell 5 percent in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation on 2 July.

The ministry's Tourism Research and Statistics Section recorded 1,049,927 tourist arrivals between January 1 and July 1, 2026. This compares to 1,113,349 tourists in the same period in 2025.

Total visitor numbers, which include tourists, business arrivals and cruise passengers, reached 1,075,142 as of July 1. This marks a decline from 1,131,303 total visitors recorded in the same period in 2025.

Sharp swings across months

Monthly data show wide swings in arrival numbers through the first half of the year.

January and February recorded growth. Tourist arrivals rose 5.0 percent in January and 17.7 percent in February compared to the same months in 2025.

The trend reversed sharply in March and April. Arrivals dropped 19.8 percent in March and 24.4 percent in April compared to the same months last year.

May saw a small recovery, with arrivals up 1.7 percent. June arrivals fell again, down 12.0 percent compared to June 2025.

The ministry's data do not explain the reasons behind the monthly fluctuations.

China remains top source market

China remained the largest source market for tourists in 2026, with 169,798 arrivals, accounting for 16.2 percent of total tourist arrivals. Russia followed with 150,978 arrivals, or 14.4 percent.

The United Kingdom ranked third with 86,795 arrivals, followed by Italy with 74,049 arrivals and Germany with 67,379 arrivals.

Italy moved up from fifth place in 2025 to fourth place in 2026. Germany dropped from fourth to fifth place over the same period.

Resorts hold majority share

Resorts and marinas accounted for 72.1 percent of all tourist arrivals recorded by facility type in 2026, according to the ministry.

Guesthouses accounted for 23.3 percent of arrivals, while hotels accounted for 2.4 percent.

As of July 1, 2026, the Maldives had 1,297 operational tourist accommodation facilities with a combined bed capacity of 67,868. This includes 179 operational resorts and marinas, 929 operational guesthouses, and 16 operational hotels.

Velana International Airport remained the primary entry point for visitors, handling 1,046,539 arrivals, or 97.3 percent of all visitor entries in 2026.