Maldives welcomes one millionth tourist of the year

Sutapa Amornvivat, a woman from Thailand, has become the one millionth tourist to visit the Maldives this year.

Amornvivat arrived in the Maldives at 11:15 am on Thursday, on AirAsia flight FD 175.

Amornvivat, who is visiting the Maldives on holiday with her family, is staying at the Niyama Private Islands Maldives, a picturesque resort located in Dhaalu Atoll.

This marks her third trip to the Maldives. The first was on her honeymoon.

Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC), in partnership with the Tourism Ministry, hosted a special event at the airport, to celebrate her arrival, as it set a great milestone.

Amornvivat, as the one millionth tourist, received a special holiday courtesy of the Sun Siyam Resorts, a hotel chain which runs multiple luxury tourist properties in the Maldives.

Tourist Minister Ibrahim Faisal said that reaching the milestone of one million tourist arrivals is a testament to the enduring allure of the Maldives, and the unwavering dedication of tourism industry stakeholders.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our partners, from travel agencies to hospitality providers, whose commitment and hard work have made this achievement possible,” he told reporters at the airport. “Together, we continue to set new standards of excellence and create unforgettable experiences for our visitors.”

According to the national tourism promotion board, February was a record-breaking month, as Maldives experienced the highest number of arrivals in a single month, with more than 217,394 visitors.

MMPRC said that Thursday’s celebration emphasizes the strategic efforts of MMPRC and the government to further enhance tourism plans.

“It is a tribute to the combined efforts of the Maldives’ tourism industry to have welcomed one million tourists earlier than the previous year. This achievement is on course to President Dr Muizzu’s 2 million national tourist arrival target,” said Ibrahim Shiuree, the CEO and Managing Director of MMPRC.

He said that the corporation’s dedication doesn't end there.

“We’re always working to enhance the Maldives' travel industry, and make sure Sunny Side of Life continues to be a dream destination for everyone,” he said.

Maldives, which won the award for the WTA World's Leading Destination for the fourth consecutive year in 2023, expects a record 2 million tourist arrivals this year.

MMPRC said that it has been actively involved in marketing and promoting Maldives throughout this year, working towards arrival target.

The tourism promotion board participated in key marketing fairs and campaigns that were carried out this year, particularly within the top five markets: China, Russia, the U.K., Italy, and Germany.

The MMPRC also took part in ATM, ITB Berlin, and ITB China - which are some of the biggest fairs of the year.