The Maldives has achieved a significant milestone in its tourism sector, with the arrival of its two millionth visitor of the year on Thursday, setting a new record for tourist arrivals.

Astrid Dirnegger, an Austrian national traveling with her family, became the landmark visitor when she landed at Velana International Airport (VIA) aboard Austrian Airlines flight OS 045-6, which carried 327 passengers from Vienna.

Dirnegger, along with her husband and two children, received a warm reception from the Maldivian authorities, with Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal personally greeting them at the airport.

As the two millionth tourist, Dirnegger was gifted a six-day holiday stay at the SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, alongside various presents from the Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation, Maldives Airports Company Limited, Immigration, and Customs.

The achievement surpasses the Maldives' 2023 tourist arrivals of 1.7 million, a milestone reached back in November.

The country had set a target of two million tourists for 2024, and this goal has now been successfully met.

The Maldives continues to be a popular destination for travelers, with top source markets including China (13.1%), Russia (10.9%), the United Kingdom (8.8%), Germany (6.9%), Italy (6.4%), and India (6.4%).

The Maldives, which was named the World’s Leading Destination at the 2024 World Travel Awards for the fifth consecutive year, now aims to further increase its tourist arrivals, targeting 2.2 million visitors in 2025.