The Maldives has welcomed over half a million international visitors in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting continued confidence in the destination’s world-renowned appeal. According to data released by the Ministry of Tourism, a total of 593,956 tourists arrived in the Maldives between January 1 and March 26 in the year 2025, marking a four percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, when the country saw 570,898 arrivals.
This upward trend underscores a strong start to the year for the island nation’s tourism sector, which plays a vital role in the national economy. The data confirms a growing preference among travelers for the Maldives’ pristine beaches, overwater villas, and exclusive experiences.
Among the countries contributing to this surge, China stands out as the leading source market in 2025. By the end of March, 70,797 Chinese tourists had visited the Maldives, an impressive 11 percent rise from the 63,919 arrivals recorded during the same period in 2024. China has consistently remained the top source of arrivals since overtaking Russia in late January and has maintained this lead through March. Russia follows as the second-largest source market, contributing 63,241 visitors, while the United Kingdom ranks third with 60,872 arrivals. Other major contributors include Italy (55,377), Germany (41,958), and India (29,601). While India saw a slight dip in arrivals compared to last year, the UK showed a notable increase, reflecting changing travel patterns across the region.
The data also reveals interesting trends in visitor accommodation preferences. Of the nearly 594,000 arrivals this year, 69 percent stayed at resorts, equating to 410,028 tourists. Guesthouses, a popular choice among budget-conscious travelers, accounted for 25.5 percent of the total with 151,393 guests. Hotels and safari vessels made up smaller portions, housing 2.9 percent and 2.5 percent of visitors respectively.
Daily arrivals averaged around 6,931 in January, 7,646 in February, and 6,346 in March, indicating a consistently high level of inbound tourism. January alone welcomed 214,863 tourists, an 11.7 percent increase from January 2024—while February saw a slight dip of 1.5 percent with 214,091 arrivals. The month of March continued to show a positive trend with 165,002 visitors arriving in the first 26 days.
Tourism infrastructure in the Maldives has continued to expand to meet growing demand. By March 2025, the country had 43,907 resort beds in operation, a slight increase from the previous year. Guesthouses also saw growth, offering 14,188 operational beds compared to 14,097 in 2024. The number of liveaboard safari vessels increased to 157, reflecting rising interest in marine-based exploration.
In 2024, the Maldives reached a historic milestone by welcoming over 2 million tourists in a single year for the first time. The final count stood at 2,047,435, up nine percent from 2023’s total of 1,878,543. The government has set an ambitious target for 2025, to increase tourist arrivals by 15 percent and generate USD 5 billion in tourism revenue.
With its natural beauty, luxury offerings, and growing global appeal, the Maldives continues to strengthen its position as one of the most sought-after travel destinations in the world. The robust start to 2025 reaffirms the country’s resilience and adaptability in the global tourism landscape.
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