Tourism Boom: Maldives Approaches More than a Million Arrivals, Marking Significant Growth

Published on November 23, 2025

For 2025, the Maldives is rapidly getting close to 2 million tourists. From the Ministry of Tourism, the Maldives most recently achieved 1.94 million tourists. Now, the country is only 50,587 tourists away from breaking last year’s record of 1.77 million tourists. Given the previous record has only been achieved recently, last year’s record is easily surpassed. This record-breaking is evident from this year’s 9.9% increase, compared to last year’s 1.77 million arrivals.

The Maldives is known for its luxurious resorts and beautiful beaches, making it a popular travel destination. This number is important for the Maldives economy, due to the jobs created, supporting local businesses, and building the country. This also shows that the Maldives is still popular to a vast number of people, and it is a place others are hoping to travel to.

Increased Frequency and Number of Tourists

The arrival of more people is a positive sign and reflects the confidence the public has in the Maldives tourism sector. From the Ministry of Tourism’s recent statistics, the Maldives has shown positive growth and sustained development during all of 2023, including an 11.6% growth this month during the first 19 days. In this time, there were 122,479 people who arrived in the Maldives, reflecting the high demand this travel destination continues to have.

Maldives tourism has positive growth that correlates the Maldives’ efforts to target several new markets. In the last few years, the Maldives has tourism to Asia and the Middle East. This fact, together with over 80 islands, 100+ private resorts, and various price points for travel, makes travel to the Maldives appealing to travelers of all levels.

Pre-COVID Maldives Recovery

Since the start of the post-COVID period, the Maldives tourism economy sector has shown signs of strength and the ability to bounce back and recover, particularly in the tourism sector, where the Maldives encountered several complications given the restrictive measures that were in place globally, including travel bans and border closures. Nevertheless, the Maldives tourism economy demonstrated the ability to quickly bounce back from the effects of the pandemic and tourism. The Maldives has strong practices in place of good health and safety protocols like contactless check-in, and routine health and safety facility practices have been bolstered at the resorts. The pandemic provided the Maldives with an almost exclusive tourism niche in the highly sought-after safe and calm tourism demographics.

As of early to mid-2021, tourists were again permitted to travel to the Maldives and the number of arrivals has steadily continued and grown. The resumption of tourism to the Maldives has been attributed to the marketing emphasis from the government of the Maldives that continued to call the destination safe from the COVID pandemic to prospective tourists, and the resumption of tourism that focuses on the luxury, world-class resorts and tourist amenities that the destination boasts in addition to the highly regarded clear, blue, and picturesque waters of the Maldives.

Popularity Among High-End Travellers and Resort Accommodations

An important aspect of the Maldives is appealing to luxury travelers and those looking for posh resort stays. The Maldives is famous for its over the water bungalows and villas. Luxury hotel brands such as Four Seasons and Anantara and Waldorf Astoria have built hotels and resorts in the Maldives. The Maldives has become recognised as an upscale destination because of the luxurious accommodation options and the unprecedented exclusivity.

The private islands and resorts in the country offer an idyllic escape to peace, which is what many tourists seek. The Maldives has expanded to offer forms of boutique, ecofriendly, and luxury budget options for travelers as tourism continues to grow. The peace and solitude of the Maldives is a huge draw for couples, families, and honeymooners.

The Maldives unheeded the pandemic and the diversifying competition in the Maldives has been undertaking aggressive marketing, promoting the Maldives to potential tourists from new parts of the world such as Asia, for a long time now.

The Maldives has in the past consolidated tourism markets from Europe and from North America as major contributors to the Maldives economy as the Maldives consolidated tourism and sought to cater to the wealthier clientele. This involves MENA and recently rising Asia economies wealthy countries in the region such as India and newly incorporated into Maldives, marketing the Maldives to wealthy clientele. China and Japan have seen increases in the number of tourists from there. The wealthy elite in India along with the growing middle-class have an increasing demand for luxury travel. With the growing spending power in these countries and the increasing demand for luxury travel.

The Maldives has also been spending to grow its tourism capacity for the Maldives. Recently Picked spending to growth for tourism, developed new tourism infrastructure. The Maldives developed new tourism facilities.Phases of expansion have been instituted for Velana International Airport increasing tourism access to the islands. The Maldives continues to open additional uninhabited islands for tourism The Maldives to meet global tourism competitiveness.

Increasing Sustainable Tourism Activities

With the Maldives continuing to receive growing numbers of visitors, the focus on sustainability, and eco-friendly tourism practices, is of concern. Both the government and the private sector have sustained efforts to promote and implement eco-friendly tourism initiatives designed to sustain the natural ecosystem, reduce the carbon footprint of tourism, and aid the local communities.

Visitors are invited to participate in eco-friendly activities, including restoration programs on coral reefs, and responsible wildlife viewing, and are encouraged to support sustainable-focused local businesses. A number of green adopt technological eco resorts powered by solar energy and incorporate waste recycling.

The Future Focused on Tourism Objectives and Challenges

With the Maldives about to receive its over 2 millionth arrival, Maldives tourism officials look to the future with expectation. Over the next several years, the Maldives will likely continue to increase the number of visitors, and the Maldives will work toward fulfilling its objectives.

With a current growth trajectory of the Maldives, this destination is continuing to successfully establish as one of the top luxury destinations in the travel industry. In the Maldives, continued investments within the travel industry in sustainable practices, and infrastructure will secure the destination to be a top travel destination globally.