Maldives welcomes first tourist of the year; a British national

The first tourist of 2024 arrived in the Maldives early Monday morning following which he received a warm welcome at the Velana International Airport (VIA).

The tourist, Benjamin Duncan Moore, is a UK national, who had traveled to the Maldives to meet his friends.

The welcoming ceremony was attended by Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal, MMPRC’s Managing Director Fathimath Thaufeeq and heads of Maldives Immigration and MACL.

During the ceremony, Moore was presented gifts by the Tourism Ministry, MMPRC and MACL. He also received a free trip to CROSSROADS, including a plus one, valid through this year. 

The budget proposed for this year estimates the arrival of 2.1 million tourists this year.

Tourism Minister Faisal has previously stated that significant efforts will be undertaken this year to improve marketing Maldives as a tourist destination and strengthen tourist occupancy rates to achieve this goal.