The Maldives has recorded over 500,000 tourist arrivals so far this year.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, 502,252 tourists visited the Maldives as of 4 March. This is an increase of 8.8 percent compared to the 461,839 arrivals recorded during the same period last year.
The top source market this year has been China, with 79,681 arrivals, followed by Russia with 57,466 tourists and Italy with 48,417. The United Kingdom ranked fourth with 46,005 arrivals, while Germany placed fifth, with 31,344 arrivals.
Most tourists opted to stay at resorts. While a total of 336,570 tourists stayed at resorts, 131,261 tourists chose guesthouses.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the average number of daily tourist arrivals has dropped significantly, due to flights from several source markets being cancelled due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The government is working to overcome the situation and resume some of the suspended flights, while relevant agencies are also seeking to introduce flights from alternative destinations.