The Maldives Sees 9% Tourism Growth


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The Maldives welcomed 1.29 million tourists by July 2025, marking a 9.5% increase year-on-year, with strong off-season growth. Read on for APAC hotel deal and development news.

The Maldives welcomed 1.29 million tourists by July 2025, marking a 9.5% increase year-on-year, with strong off-season growth. The Ministry of Tourism said the country welcomed 180,438 visitors in July alone, an 11.8% increase over July 2024. The average number of daily arrivals is now exceeding 6,000. 73% of the tourists are staying at resorts, but guesthouses now account for 22% of stays. This segment has seen notable growth in recent years, particularly among budget-conscious travelers and regional source markets. A further 2% of arrivals opted for hotels and liveaboard safari vessels, which cater to niche segments such as divers and marine-focused travelers.  As of July 2025, China leads all inbound markets with 188,317 arrivals, up 14.6% year-on-year. Russia was up 11.8% to 152,385 tourists, and the UK is in third place with 120,937 visitors, up 9.4%. The Maldivian government has set an ambitious target of reaching 2.5 million arrivals by the end of 2025, which woul