Tourist arrivals surpass 2023 annual total

Tourist arrivals to the Maldives so far this year exceed the annual total arrivals in 2023, welcoming more than 1.8 million tourists.

While tourist arrivals recorded as of December 7th showed a year-to-date total of 1,877,567, the total would have exceeded last year's annual total of 1,878,543 as of Sunday based on the daily arrival average, which currently is 5,490 in annual terms.

The Maldives government earlier announced an annual target of two million travelers for 2024; which according to the Ministry of Tourism would be achieved before the current year wraps up. 

"Proud to share that the Maldives has surpassed last year's totla tourist arrivals!" the Minister of Tourism, Ibrahim Faisal announced in a post on X on Sunday. He added that this milestone reflected the Maldivian tourism industry's dedication and the support of the visitors.

The minister earlier said that the Maldives is expected to hit the annual arrival target by December 25th based on the statistics.

While tourist arrivals so far in 2024 has surpassed last year's annual total, the Maldives has won the "World's Leading Destination" for the fifth consecutive year at the World Travel Awards. Besides this, the Maldives was a recipient of multiple other accolades at the WTA 2024, which include:

• World's Leading Green Destination
• Maldives Leading Seaplane Operator 2024 - Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA)
• World's Leading Airport Resort 2024 - Hulhule' Island Hotel
• World's Leading Luxury Honeymoon Resort 2024 - Vakkaru Maldives
• World's Leading Private Island 2024 - Velaa Private Island
• World's Leading Water Villa Resort 2024 - Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa

Minister Faisal said the country aims to achieve even more accolades at the World Travel Awards next year, with a minimum of 15 awards.