The Maldives is expected to end 2026 with tourist arrival figures close to the record levels achieved last year, as the country’s tourism industry continues to demonstrate resilience despite temporary challenges affecting international travel, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has said.
Speaking at the Ahaa Forum, Minister Ameen said the government remains confident about the overall performance of the tourism sector, noting that 2025 recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals in the history of the Maldives, with 2.275 million visitors.
The Minister highlighted that the strong performance was supported by improvements undertaken in the civil aviation sector under the administration of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. Reforms introduced from 2024 focused on strengthening aviation safety and security standards and enhancing the Maldives’ compliance with international requirements.
According to Minister Ameen, the Maldives completed an International Civil Aviation Organisation audit early last year and achieved a score of 79.6 percent. He said the improvement in aviation safety and security standards contributed to greater confidence among international airlines, including increased operations by European carriers, supporting the country’s record tourism performance.
Tourist arrivals continued to grow during January and February 2026 in line with government targets. However, Minister Ameen said developments linked to the conflict in the Middle East affected international travel during March, April and May, resulting in a 24 percent decline in arrivals compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.
Despite those external pressures, coordinated efforts by the government and tourism industry have significantly strengthened the country’s recovery, with the year-on-year decline subsequently narrowing to approximately 1.3 percent.
Minister Ameen said the current forecast indicates that the Maldives could finish the year close to last year’s historic visitor numbers. He noted that even a result slightly below the previous record would represent a strong performance considering the international circumstances faced during the year.
“Our current forecast is that we can come close to matching last year’s figures by the end of this year. If we can finish slightly below that level, I would still consider it a good outcome. Achieving that would represent significant progress,” Minister Ameen said.
He added that the challenges affecting tourism were not unique to the Maldives and said the country’s ability to recover rapidly could provide a positive example for other tourism-dependent destinations.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, approximately 1.6 million tourists have already visited the Maldives so far this year, demonstrating the continued strength of demand for the destination.
The Maldives remains one of the world’s leading luxury island destinations, supported by an internationally recognised resort sector featuring private-island properties, premium accommodation, world-class hospitality, marine experiences and high-end leisure facilities. Continued investment in resort development, aviation connectivity and destination promotion is expected to further strengthen the country’s competitiveness across key international tourism markets.
The government is also working with tourism industry stakeholders to expand market reach, strengthen air connectivity and attract visitors from both established and emerging source markets. These efforts form part of a broader strategy to maintain tourism as a major contributor to economic growth, employment and foreign exchange earnings.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has declared 2027 as the Year of Visiting the Maldives, with the initiative expected to further intensify international destination promotion and support continued growth in visitor arrivals.
With tourism numbers recovering strongly and the gap with last year’s record performance continuing to narrow, the government remains optimistic that the Maldives will conclude 2026 with one of the strongest tourism results in the country’s history.
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