More than 200,000 tourists have visited Maldives so far this year, according to the latest weekly update released by the Ministry of Tourism.
The report shows that a total of 200,801 tourists arrived in Maldives as of the 28th of this month, marking a 3.9 percent increase compared to 193,174 arrivals recorded during the same period last year.
Statistics indicate that this year is the fastest on record for Maldives to reach the 200,000 tourist mark.
The highest number of tourist arrivals recorded on a single day so far this month was on the 11th, when 9,596 tourists entered the country. Current data shows that Maldives is now receiving an average of 7,171 tourists per day.
While China was the largest source market for tourists at the end of last year, Russia has emerged as the leading source market so far this year. However, authorities note that tourist arrivals from China are increasing rapidly.
The three countries with the highest number of tourists visiting Maldives this year are Russia with 26,965 arrivals, Italy with 21,137 arrivals, and China with 18,531 arrivals.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the highest number of tourists arrived through Maafaru International Airport and Gan International Airport. So far this year, 198,329 tourists have arrived via international airports, while 714 tourists arrived through Maafaru Airport.
Tourist arrivals to Maldives have increased significantly in recent years. The country recorded a total of 2.2 million tourist arrivals last year, marking a record high for the tourism sector.