China remains the Maldives’ leading tourism source market this year, with 230,374 arrivals accounting for 15.7 per cent of the total.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Environment statistics, China has maintained its position as the leading source market since 2024.

Russia was the second largest source market with 174,434 arrivals, while the United Kingdom came third with 132,732. Italy followed with 105,379 arrivals and Germany with 100,546.

Tourism statistics published as of 26 August show 168,698 arrivals for the month, bringing the total for 2025 to 1.46 million. This represents a 9.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Daily arrivals in August averaged 6,488, recovering from the low-season figures recorded between May and July.

The strongest months for arrivals so far have been January and February, though these figures are likely to be surpassed later in the year as the peak season begins.

In terms of accommodation, resorts continue to dominate, accounting for 73.4 per cent of arrivals. Guesthouses followed with 21.8 per cent, while hotels and safari vessels received 2.6 per cent and 2.0 per cent of visitors respectively. Other facilities represented 0.1 per cent.

With the new international terminal at Velana International Airport now operational, officials expect further growth in tourist arrivals. The terminal, which is currently in a transitional phase, is designed to eliminate capacity constraints during peak hours. The Government has set a target of welcoming 2.3 million tourists this year, surpassing last year’s record figures.