Tourist arrivals in the Maldives are set to hit 162,000 by the end of October, underscoring the island nation's continued appeal as a premier tropical getaway.

This was revealed by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment through its latest daily tourist arrival statistics.

As such, the ministry’s statistics revealed that 161,932 tourists touched down at Velana International Airport (VIA) between October 1 – 27. This, is a 14 percent increase from the 142,008 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2024 and much higher than the 132,276 tourist arrivals recorded in 2023.

The statistics go on to reveal that 1,798,421 tourists were welcomed between January 1 and October 27. This is a 10.1 percent increase in comparison to the 1,634,035 arrivals recorded in the same period last year, and much higher than the 1,493,324 arrivals recorded in the same period of 2023.

The ministry went on to reveal that about 6,931 tourists arrived on average every day during January, 7,646 in February, 6,563 in March, 6,611 during April, 4,375 during May, 4,726 during June, 6,024 during July, 6,601 during August, and 4,985 during September. During October, 6,228 visitors are being recorded on a daily average, so far.

Maldives continues to cement its reputation as a premier luxury travel destination, with statistics revealing that 73.8 percent of visitors opt for stays at the nation’s upscale resorts. This trend underscores the enduring appeal of the island nation’s exclusive accommodations and pristine surroundings among global travelers.

So far, 1,327,766 visitors have opted for the luxury of resorts. 385,595 tourists make up 21.4 percent of the tourists who stayed at guesthouses, 46,188 tourists make up 2.6 percent of the tourists who stayed at hotels, 37,345 tourists make up 2.1 percent of the tourists who stayed at liveaboard vessels and 1,527 who stayed at other facilities during this period.

The ministry’s statistics go on to indicate that China has reaffirmed its dominant position in the island nation's key economic sector, remaining the leader in tourist arrivals to the Maldives with no signs of slowing down as the tenth month of the year nears ending.

Although Russia topped the tourist source markets into the third week of January, it was replaced by China into the last week of January.

China has topped the leading source of tourists since then. China now contributes 16.2 percent of the market share with 290,941 arrivals.

China sat at the top of the list of tourist source markets by the end of 2024 as well.

Russia sits at second place on the list contributing 12.4 percent of the market share with 222,604 arrivals.

The United Kingdom comes third contributing 8.8 percent of the market share with 159,125 arrivals.

Maldives welcomed the one millionth tourist of the year on June 7. Kajal Singh arrived in the Maldives to spend her honeymoon at Malahini Kuda Bandos, and this was her first visit to the Maldives. Visit Maldives announced that this marked the fastest time in the nation's history that tourist arrivals reached the one-million mark within a calendar year. To commemorate the milestone, the Minister of Tourism and Environment attended a special ceremony at VIA to personally welcome the milestone visitor.

During the ceremony, which emphasized the Maldives' commitment to sustainable tourism, the one millionth tourist of 2025 was invited to plant a tree. Embracing the gesture, the visitor took part in a symbolic tree-planting at Hulhulé, underscoring the nation's ongoing environmental initiatives.

Maldives welcomed 2,046,615 visitors in 2024. In 2023, 1,878,543 tourist arrivals were recorded.

A true jewel of the Indian Ocean, Maldives has been dazzling among passionate travelers since tourism was introduced in the island nation in 1972. It has been 53 years since the island paradise has been enchanting travelers from around the globe with its unrivaled hospitality and picturesque beauty.