Minister of Tourism Dr Abdulla Mausoom has stated the government has targeted to attract at least 2 million tourists to the Maldives in the year 2023. 

Speaking at the 55th Board Governance Seminar of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Minister of Tourism Abdullah Mausoom stated the government's target to attract 1.6 million tourists for this year and attain 13 million bed nights. He further went on to explain that the government targets to bring in 2 million tourists by the next and achieve 14.5 million room nights. 

Minister Mausoom also highlighted the Maldives closed its borders due to COVID-19 affecting the tourism industry. However, he added that the Maldives was one of the fastest countries to overcome the situation. 

The government has set a target to attract 2 million tourists during a time when Chinese tourist prepares again to begin to travel to the Maldives since the pandemic lockdown. Previously, the Chinese market was one of the key markets for the Maldives filling up a large number of tourist beds. 

China had been the top source market for tourist arrivals to the Maldives before it halted direct flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 267,875 Chinese tourists visited the Maldives in 2019, making for 17.5 per cent of the record 1.7 billion tourist arrivals to the island destination that year.