Tourism Minister confident of reaching 2 million target by December 25

Minister of Tourism Ibrahim Faisal has expressed confidence that the government will meet its target of attracting two million tourists to the Maldives by December 25, setting a new record for the country’s tourism sector.

Speaking at a ceremony celebrating the Maldives’ fifth consecutive World Leading Destination award, Minister Faisal assured reporters that the nation is on track to reach this milestone. He highlighted that, based on current tourist arrivals and statistics from the Ministry, the Maldives is expected to surpass two million visitors by December 25 at the latest. He further noted his belief that the daily average of arrivals will increase significantly in the coming days.

As of December 24, the Maldives had welcomed 1,803,823 tourists, compared to 1,651,706 during the same period last year, reflecting a 9.2% increase. December is traditionally a peak month for tourism, with 194,690 visitors recorded in December of the previous year alone.

Looking ahead, the Ministry of Finance forecasts that 2.2 million tourists will visit the Maldives next year. The Ministry of Tourism, however, is optimistic that this number will reach 2.3 million, driven by enhanced promotional efforts in both existing and emerging markets.