The Maldives welcomed 1,762,751 tourists in the first ten months of 2026, according to figures from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
The total is 3.5 percent lower than the same period last year, when 1,826,934 tourists arrived by the end of October, a difference of 64,183 arrivals.
When business travellers and cruise passengers are included, international visitor arrivals for the year so far stand at 1,797,060, down 2.9 percent from 1,851,429 in 2025.
October edges past last year
The country received 190,774 tourists in October, a 0.2 percent increase on the 190,445 recorded in October 2025 and 10.5 percent above the 172,621 recorded in October 2024.
October arrivals were also 28.2 percent higher than September, which saw 148,801 tourists. Arrivals averaged 6,154 a day during the month, with the busiest day on 17 October, when 8,621 tourists arrived. Another peak of 8,154 arrivals was recorded on 24 October.
Including 1,787 business arrivals and 1,478 cruise passengers, total international visitor arrivals in October reached 194,039, up 0.9 percent from 192,398 a year earlier.
China remains the top source market
China is the largest source of tourists so far this year, accounting for 18.8 percent of all arrivals. The top six markets from January to October were:
- China: 331,817 (18.8%)
- Russia: 256,822 (14.6%)
- United Kingdom: 135,897 (7.7%)
- Germany: 119,589
- Italy: 105,485
- India: 102,442
Australia, the United States, France and Spain complete the top ten.
Three in four tourists chose a resort
Resorts hosted 1,304,721 tourists, or 74 percent of all arrivals up to the end of October. Guesthouses accommodated 381,605 tourists, a 21.6 percent share, while hotels accounted for 2.2 percent and tourist vessels for 1.9 percent.
As of 1 November 2026, the Maldives had 1,280 operational tourist establishments with a combined capacity of 67,984 beds. These comprise 180 resorts and marinas, 919 guesthouses, 17 hotels and 164 safari vessels.
