In the first week of November, the Maldives celebrated a significant surge in tourist arrivals, bringing the country one step closer to its annual target. The Ministry of Tourism released its latest daily statistics on Wednesday, revealing that 36,670 tourists arrived in the Maldives between November 1 and 7.

This figure represents a remarkable 6.8 percent increase compared to the 34,337 arrivals during the same period in 2022 and the 34,354 tourists in 2021. Since the beginning of the year, the Maldives has recorded a total of 1,556,859 tourist arrivals. With approximately 343,141 more visitors, the nation is poised to achieve its annual arrival target.

The Maldives is on track to reach its promising goal of 1.9 million tourist arrivals by the end of the year, surpassing the earlier estimate of 1.81 million arrivals. This achievement is especially noteworthy as it marks a 12.9 percent increase from the 1,378,703 arrivals in the same period last year and a substantial growth from the 1,047,282 arrivals in 2021.

The year's cumulative arrival figures include 172,499 tourists welcomed in January, 177,915 in February, 173,514 in March, 164,357 in April, 120,959 in May, 120,363 in June, 145,629 in July, 154,854 in August, 130,967 in September, and 159,141 in October. Although there were declines in May and June, the figures remained above 100,000 arrivals.

In 2023, the daily average is 5,006, and tourists typically stay for about seven days. Notably, the Maldives achieved its one millionth tourist arrival on July 16 of this year.

Breaking down the daily arrivals for November, the figures are as follows:

• November 1: 5,143 tourists


• November 2: 5,474 tourists


• November 3: 4,572 tourists


• November 4: 6,165 tourists


• November 5: 5,634 tourists


• November 6: 4,516 tourists


• November 7: 5,166 tourists

Russia continues to lead the tourist arrival markets, contributing 11.5 percent of the market share with 179,458 arrivals by November 7. India, which previously led halfway through the year, is now in second place with 167,614 arrivals, making up 10.8 percent of the total. China follows closely behind in third place, contributing 10.7 percent with 166,165 arrivals.

Other top tourist markets in 2023 include the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the United States, France, Spain, and Switzerland.

In his presidential address this year, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih envisioned welcoming 3.5 million tourists annually by 2028. Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom expressed optimism that the target of 1.9 million tourist arrivals for this year would be met, with a focus on increasing bed nights. The Ministry of Finance also presented optimistic projections for tourism growth, anticipating a return to pre-pandemic levels and growth in all scenarios.

The government's fifth tourism master plan is a critical tool for achieving these objectives, prioritizing the development of the tourism sector and expanding services for tourists. The government is also working on expanding tourism to the various islands that make up the Maldives.

Tourism in the Maldives began in 1972, and the country's natural beauty has continued to attract travelers for five decades.