According to statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism, the number of tourist arrivals for this month is 94,000, reflecting a decrease compared to the number of arrivals during the same period in 2022, which was recorded at 100,000.
In the past four months, the Maldives has received an average of 170,000 tourists, which represents a 55 percent decrease in May However, the number of tourist arrivals in the last four months has been 10-30 percent higher than the corresponding period last year.
The total number of tourists visiting the Maldives this year remains 15 percent higher than 2022. As of now, the Maldives has welcomed a total of 782,000 tourists. Tourism Minister Dr. Abdulla Mausoom has acknowledged that tourist arrivals in the Maldives are expected to decline in the months of May, June, and July. He said that this decline was possibly due to the reduction in the number of flights from some Indian destinations.
India's GoAir, which previously operated flights to the Maldives, has discontinued its operations to the country due to financial challenges faced by the airline. Minister Dr. Mausoom said that he is collaborating with the tourism industry to enhance promotional efforts in response to the decline in tourist arrivals.
He said that the number of arrivals would increase starting from August, despite the current downturn. "Even though tourist arrivals may be lower in May, June, and July, we expect the monthly figures to surpass those of 2019. Our focus is on the financial growth of the tourism sector rather than solely on the number of tourists. The outcome will be determined at the end of the month," he said.
The Maldives government has set a target of attracting 1.8 million tourists by the end of 2023. The Ministry of Tourism said that this goal will be achieved before the year ends.
