The Maldives welcomed 148,801 tourists in September 2026, maintaining arrivals close to the same month last year while recording stronger daily numbers towards the end of the month. The result reflects greater stability in visitor arrivals following a modest increase in August, providing an encouraging basis for the tourism sector as it enters the final quarter.
September’s tourist arrivals were just 762 below the 149,563 recorded in September 2025, representing a decline of approximately 0.5 per cent. Although the month did not close the shortfall accumulated earlier in the year, it retained most of the growth achieved in the corresponding month of 2025.
Figures from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation’s daily update show that total international visitors, including business visitors, reached 150,764 during September. This broader measure was down approximately 0.2 per cent year on year, with increased business travel partly offsetting the slight reduction in tourist arrivals.
Business visitor numbers rose from 1,551 in September 2025 to 1,963 this year, an increase of 412 visitors. No cruise passengers were recorded during the month. The distinction between tourist arrivals and total international visitors provides a clearer picture of the different travel segments contributing to September’s performance.
Compared with September 2024, when the Maldives received 132,795 tourists, this year’s arrivals remained approximately 12.1 per cent higher. The comparison demonstrates that the destination maintained a substantially higher volume than two years earlier, even as arrivals remained broadly unchanged against September 2025.
On a monthly basis, tourist arrivals declined by approximately 23.8 per cent from the 195,390 recorded in August. Similar reductions between August and September occurred in both 2024 and 2025, suggesting that the movement followed an established seasonal pattern. The monthly decline therefore needs to be considered alongside year-on-year comparisons when assessing the sector’s performance.
September averaged approximately 4,960 tourists a day, with momentum strengthening during its final ten days. Daily arrivals averaged 5,346 over that period, compared with 4,767 during the first twenty days. The busiest day was 26 September, when 6,284 tourists entered the country.
The improvement towards the end of September offers a positive signal for tourism businesses preparing for the remaining months of the year. However, the stronger daily figures represent a short-term development, with final-quarter arrivals still needed to determine whether that momentum can translate into a sustained improvement.
September’s broadly stable result followed a year-on-year increase of approximately 1.7 per cent in August. Together, the two months showed more consistent arrival levels than the substantial declines recorded in March, April and June, indicating a steadier recent pattern in inbound tourism.
For the first nine months of 2026, the Maldives received 1,571,977 tourists, compared with 1,636,489 during the corresponding period of 2025. This represents a decline of approximately 3.9 per cent, leaving arrivals 64,512 below last year’s pace at the end of September.
The figures place the final quarter in focus for the country’s tourism sector. September’s resilience against a relatively strong comparison year, together with its late-month improvement, provides grounds for measured optimism. Sustained growth in the remaining months will be important to narrow the annual gap and build on the more stable performance recorded in August and September.
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