The Maldives has cemented its position as one of the world’s premier luxury tourism destinations after recording its strongest-ever performance in 2025, welcoming over 2.2 million international visitors and generating unprecedented tourism revenue.
The Indian Ocean archipelago welcomed 2,246,516 international guests throughout 2025, representing a robust 9.8% year-on-year growth and marking a historic milestone for the nation’s tourism-dependent economy.
The performance exceeded all previous records, with tourism officials celebrating what they described as a landmark year that demonstrated the Maldives’ enduring global appeal despite challenging international economic conditions.
Record-Breaking Monthly and Daily Arrivals
December 2025 emerged as the strongest month in the nation’s tourism history, attracting 224,455 visitors and surpassing the previous monthly record of 217,392 arrivals set in February 2024.
The year’s single highest daily arrival figure was recorded on December 28, when 9,903 international guests landed in Malé, highlighting the intense demand during the peak holiday season.
Throughout 2025, the Maldives maintained an impressive daily average of 6,155 arrivals. February stood out with the highest monthly daily average of 7,646 visitors, underscoring strong demand during the traditional winter travel season.
China Reclaims Dominant Position
China retained its position as the Maldives’ top source market with 14.7% of total arrivals, showing remarkable recovery from pandemic-era lows. By November 2025, Chinese arrivals had already reached 312,160 visitors, substantially exceeding the full-year 2024 figure of approximately 263,000.
This represents an extraordinary turnaround from 2022, when only 15,023 Chinese tourists visited the islands, to 187,125 in 2023, demonstrating the market’s dramatic post-pandemic resurgence driven by restored flight connections and targeted promotional campaigns.
Russia Maintains Strong Second Position
Russia solidified its position as the second-largest source market with 12.4% of total arrivals, demonstrating remarkable consistency and growth. By November 30, 2025, the Maldives had welcomed 253,835 Russian tourists, building on the strong performance of 2024 when approximately 225,000 Russian visitors arrived.
The Russian market has proven particularly resilient, with consistent year-round demand and strong early-season momentum, including over 101,000 arrivals by late May 2025. Russia’s sustained prominence reflects the destination’s appeal to Russian luxury travelers and the availability of direct flight connections from major Russian cities.
Traditional European Markets Show Strength
The United Kingdom maintained third place with 9% of arrivals, while traditional European powerhouses Germany and Italy demonstrated strong performances and improved rankings in 2025.
Germany, accounting for 7.5% of total arrivals, reclaimed fourth position in 2025 after ranking fourth in 2022 with 133,432 visitors and slipping to fifth in 2023 with 135,091 arrivals. The market showed continued growth in 2024 with approximately 157,246 German tourists, a trend that extended into 2025 as German travelers returned to the islands in increasing numbers.
Italy secured fifth place with 6.8% of arrivals, regaining its previous best ranking after fluctuating positions in recent years. Italian arrivals numbered 97,627 in 2022 and 118,525 in 2023 when the market slipped to sixth position. However, 2024 marked a strong rebound with around 144,214 Italian visitors by year-end, making Italy the second-largest European market. This momentum continued into 2025, demonstrating renewed Italian enthusiasm for the destination.
Sharp Decline in Indian Tourist Arrivals
In a notable shift from historical patterns, Indian tourist arrivals experienced a dramatic decline in 2024 and 2025, representing one of the most significant market changes in recent Maldivian tourism history. India, the Maldives’ nearest neighbor and once its dominant source market, saw visitor numbers plummet from 241,382 in 2022 and 209,193 in 2023 to just 130,805 in 2024 -a sharp drop attributed to strained diplomatic relations and geopolitical tensions between the two nations.
The decline continued into 2025, with only 117,177 Indian tourists visiting the Maldives through November, pushing India from its traditional top position to sixth place in the source market rankings. This represented a particularly dramatic fall for what was historically one of the largest outbound tourism markets globally and had previously dominated Maldivian tourism arrivals. The first four months of 2024 alone saw a 42% decrease in Indian arrivals compared to the same period in 2023, though modest recovery signs emerged toward year-end, with December 2024 recording 16,749 Indian visitors.
Economic Impact Exceeds Projections
The tourism sector’s economic contribution proved even more impressive than visitor numbers alone. Tourism receipts for 2025 are projected to exceed USD 5.4 billion, substantially surpassing the national target of USD 5 billion.
According to the Maldives Monetary Authority, tourism revenue grew by 15.8% year-on-year compared to 2024, demonstrating the sector’s resilience amid global economic headwinds and regional uncertainties.
The strong performance was supported by growth in bed nights and expanded accommodation capacity, with new resorts and guesthouses opening throughout the year to meet sustained demand.
Tourism remains the backbone of the Maldivian economy, accounting for the majority of foreign exchange earnings and employment in the nation of scattered coral atolls.
The 2025 results strengthen the Maldives’ long-term tourism outlook and reinforce its reputation as a premier destination for luxury travelers seeking pristine beaches, world-class diving, and exclusive resort experiences.
Industry observers expect the momentum to continue into 2026, supported by ongoing infrastructure development, enhanced air connectivity, and the destination’s proven ability to attract high-spending international visitors year-round.
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