The Maldives has reached a significant milestone in its tourism sector, with total tourist arrivals surpassing 1.4 million as of mid-September.

This achievement brings the island nation closer to its ambitious target of welcoming a record two million tourists by the end of the year.

According to the latest figures released by the Ministry of Tourism daily reports, the Maldives recorded 1,430,756 tourist arrivals by September 17, marking a 10.1% increase over the same period last year.

In 2023, the country had registered 1,299,712 visitors by this point, reflecting a rise of 131,044 tourists.

China remains the top source market for the Maldives, contributing over 200,000 visitors, followed by Russia and the United Kingdom.

The top source markets for arrivals include:

- China: 209,025 visitors (14.6%)

- Russia: 155,372 visitors (10.9%)

- United Kingdom: 122,462 visitors (8.6%)

- Italy: 104,427 visitors (7.3%)

- Germany: 101,080 visitors (7.1%)

- India: 86,476 visitors (6.0%)

Other key markets such as the United States, France, and Switzerland also showed strong numbers, with India, which was the top market last year, now ranking sixth.

The average length of stay for tourists is currently 7.7 days, with 62,814 tourist beds operational across resorts, hotels, and liveaboards.

Despite a slight deceleration in growth to 2.7% for September, the country remains well on track to achieve its record two million arrivals target for 2024.