Tourist arrivals from China to the Maldives have exceeded 190,000 this year, maintaining the market's position as the country's largest source of visitors.

Latest statistics by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation revealed that the Maldives welcomed 1,155,017 tourists, including 190,016 arrivals from China. Russia ranked second with 164,067 visitors, followed by the United Kingdom with 91,574. Italy, Germany, India, France, the United States, Australia and Switzerland also featured among the country's leading tourism markets.

Resorts continued to receive the majority of visitors, accounting for 820,284 arrivals, while 258,538 tourists stayed at guesthouses and 27,050 at hotels.

The Maldives reached the one million visitor mark at almost the same point as last year despite challenges affecting global travel, including the conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted regional air routes.

The ministry said Visit Maldives intensified promotional efforts in key markets, particularly China, India and Russia, while also working to diversify into new source markets. It added that surpassing one million tourist arrivals despite the global challenges reflects the combined efforts of stakeholders across the tourism industry to sustain the sector's growth.