The Maldives recorded a historic high of 2.25 million tourist arrivals in 2025, the strongest tourism performance in the country’s history.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment show that total tourist arrivals for the year reached 2,246,516, representing a 9.8 per cent increase compared to 2024, when arrivals stood at approximately 2.05 million.

December emerged as the busiest month of the year, with 224,455 tourists, reflecting a 7.4 per cent increase compared to the same month last year. The highest monthly arrivals were recorded in December, January, February and March, aligning with the traditional peak tourism season.

Average daily arrivals were highest in February, at 7,646 tourists per day. Notably, the Maldives recorded stronger-than-usual performance during the off-peak season as well, with the lowest daily average still reaching 4,375 arrivals in May.

China remained the Maldives’ largest source market in 2025, accounting for 14.7 per cent of total arrivals, followed by Russia at 12.4 per cent, the United Kingdom at 9.0 per cent, Germany at 7.5 per cent, and Italy at 6.8 per cent. The ranking of the top source markets remained unchanged from 2024.

The Maldives reached the milestone of two million tourists earlier in 2025 than in the previous year. In 2024, the country crossed the two-million mark for the first time on 26 December.

Tourism growth in 2025 was further supported by infrastructure upgrades, including the opening of the new terminal at Velana International Airport (VIA) in July, along with continued promotional efforts by the Government in key source markets.