The Maldives has witnessed a sharp rise in visitor arrivals from China this year, with official figures showing 136,459 Chinese tourists travelling to the island destination so far — a 26 percent increase compared to the 107,544 arrivals recorded during the corresponding period last year.
The surge has firmly positioned China as the Maldives’ largest tourism market, highlighting the continued strength of outbound travel demand from Chinese travelers even as the country’s wider tourism industry faces slower overall growth.
China’s strong performance marks a major turnaround for the market, which had briefly slipped in rankings earlier this year. During the opening weeks of the year, Chinese arrivals temporarily dropped to sixth place among the Maldives’ top source markets. However, the market quickly regained momentum, and since February 7 China has consistently remained the leading contributor of tourists to the country.
The growth in Chinese arrivals comes despite a broader decline in total tourist numbers reaching the Maldives this year. Statistics show that the country welcomed 886,545 tourists overall, reflecting a 5.2 percent decrease compared to the 935,420 visitors recorded over the same period in the previous year.
Tourism industry stakeholders have linked the slowdown in overall arrivals to the ongoing instability in parts of the Middle East, a key aviation and transit hub for travelers connecting to destinations across South Asia, including the Maldives.
Among the Maldives’ major tourism markets this year, China has maintained the top position with 136,459 arrivals, followed by Russia with 117,052 visitors and the United Kingdom with 76,339 tourists.
The country’s aviation sector has continued to handle the majority of incoming travelers through Velana International Airport, which processed more than 861,000 passengers during the period. Meanwhile, Gan International Airport and Maafaru International Airport also accommodated thousands of international arrivals, catering largely to tourists heading directly to resorts and regional destinations.
Accommodation statistics further reflect the Maldives’ diverse tourism offering. Resort properties remained the preferred choice for the majority of travelers, attracting more than 600,000 guests during the year. At the same time, guesthouses continued to gain popularity, with over 200,000 tourists selecting locally operated stays as demand grows for affordable and community-based travel experiences. Hotels across the country hosted an additional 22,659 visitors.
Tourism infrastructure capacity has also expanded steadily, with the Maldives now offering more than 67,000 beds across resorts, guesthouses, hotels and liveaboard facilities, supporting the nation’s ability to accommodate future growth in visitor arrivals.
