State revenue generated from the tourism sector surpassed MVR 8 billion by the end of April this year, reflecting a 13.8 per cent increase compared with the same period last year, statistics released by the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises has revealed.

The Ministry’s weekly fiscal development report showed that total state revenue reached MVR 15.3 billion by the end of April, of which MVR 8.1 billion was derived from tourism-related taxes, fees and lease payments.

The largest contribution came from Tourism Goods and Services Tax (TGST), which generated MVR 5.1 billion by the end of April, compared with MVR 4.5 billion during the corresponding period in 2025.

Revenue from Green Tax also recorded strong growth, increasing from MVR 754 million last year to MVR 895 million this year. Airport Service Charge and Departure Tax collections reached MVR 750 million, up from MVR 604 million in the same period last year.

Airport Development Fee collections also rose considerably. The state collected MVR 761 million from the fee by the end of April, compared with MVR 607 million during the corresponding period in 2025.

Meanwhile, resort lease rent revenue increased from MVR 582 million to MVR 598.8 million. Revenue from acquisition costs for islands newly leased for tourism development rose sharply to MVR 317 million this year, compared with just MVR 18.4 million during the same period last year.

In total, tourism-related taxes and fees increased from MVR 7.1 billion in the first four months of 2025 to MVR 8.1 billion this year, representing year-on-year growth of 13.8 per cent.

The figures come despite concerns over the economic impact of the Middle East conflict, which escalated on 28 February and contributed to a decline in tourist arrivals to the Maldives. However, the strong performance recorded in January and February helped sustain tourism sector earnings during the review period.