More than 300,000 Chinese tourists have visited the Maldives so far this year, exceeding the full-year total of 263,042 recorded in 2024 and reaffirming China’s position as the country’s leading source market.
The surge has helped push overall international arrivals to 1.8 million between 1 January and 11 November, a 9.8 percent increase over the same period last year, signalling renewed strength in the island nation’s tourism sector, a critical pillar of its economy. On average, the Maldives is now receiving 6,446 tourists per day, according to data released by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment.
Chinese nationals currently account for 15 percent of all arrivals. The year-to-date total of 300,352 visitors from China reflects a 14 percent increase over the country’s full-year figure in 2023.
The ministry also identified the five countries contributing the highest number of tourists in 2024. While China’s position was clearly dominant, the other countries in the top five source markets are Russia (239,004), the United Kingdom (168,597), Germany (141,739), and Italy (124,406).