The 2 millionth tourist was honoured at Malé Airport on Thursday (Photo: MMPRC)
Maldives tourism sets new record with the arrival of the 2 millionth international tourist on Thursday. In a press statement, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, the tourism promotion organisation of Maldives, announced that with the arrival of the 2 millionth tourist of 2024, the country has reached another monumental milestone in the history of its tourism industry.
The statement adds that Astrid Dirnegger, an Austrian national, arrived in the Maldives on December 26, officially achieving the target set by President Mohamed Muizzu for this year. According to MMPRC, this was her third visit to the Maldives, and she was in the Maldives on vacation with her family.
Aristid Beninger and her family being felicitated at the airport (Photo: MMPRC)
MMPRC says that this milestone underscores the continued success of the Maldives tourism sector, following a record-breaking month of February 2024 that saw over 217,394 tourist arrivals, the highest number of arrivals ever achieved in a single day. February of this year also saw the Maldives breaking the record for the most arrivals in a single day, with 10,214 arrivals on February 10.
MMPRC says that a grand welcome ceremony was organised at Malé Airport for the 2 millionth tourist. It says that special gifts were given to the 2 millionth tourist of 2024 by Ministry of Tourism, MMPRC, Maldives Airports, Maldives Immigration and Maldives Customs Service.
Ibrahim Shiuree
“Welcoming our 2 millionth tourist of 2024 is a source of pride for the nation, and a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire tourism industry. This milestone is a result of the collaborative efforts of our stakeholders and the industry as a whole. I extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this success,” says Ibrahim Shiuree, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, MMPRC.
The statement adds that in 2024, the Maldives tourism industry has expanded significantly with MMPRC’s proliferation of various new markets such as Azerbaijan, Georgia and Bangladesh. MMPRC further initiated several initiatives towards making a foothold in new segments such as sports, film, medical tourism and more.
Visit Maldives says it also conducted a first of its kind ‘DATA 2024’ conference, the largest held in the South East Asia region, presenting an impressive lineup of industry leaders and data experts from around the world. This was followed by another milestone, the Visit Maldives Tourism Symposium 2024 that brought together significant figures, including policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders, in the Maldives tourism industry delving into critical topics such as sustainability, diversification, health and safety, collaborative dialogue and exploring innovative solutions for the challenges facing the tourism sector.
MMPRC says that on a monthly basis, in 2024, the visitor arrival figures have exceeded those of last year’s every month except May when the numbers declined marginally by 0.9 pc compared to the year before.
The best month for Maldives in 2024 has been February with 217,392 arrivals, 22.2 pc more than in February 2023. On an average, the arrivals in 2024 have exceeded those in 2023 in months by a comfortable two-digit margin, while for other months the growth rates vary sharply from 1.4 pc in September to 8.5 pc in October.
According to MMPRC, China has emerged as its largest source market in 2024, accounting for 261,821 visitors or 13.1 pc of total arrivals so far this year. Following China is Russia, with 217,724 arrivals or a share of 10.9 pc of total arrivals and the United Kingom, with 176,312 tourists or 8.9 pc share, is the third largest market.
With 127,594 visitors, India has fallen from being the largest source market in 2023 to sixth largest, a share of 6.4 pc of total arrivals in the country.
MMPRC says it is geared up for an even more successful year in 2025, with multiple thrilling events and initiatives. Upcoming thrilling events for next year include the World’s Biggest Giveaway 2025, an year-long global initiative. MMPRC says it will also continue to promote the Maldives as the world’s leading destination and the best place for a vacation for all travellers throughout the world.
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