The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has reported that resorts continue to dominate the country’s tourism sector, accounting for more than 70 percent of visitor accommodation so far this year.

Official statistics show that the Maldives welcomed 879,154 tourists in 2026 up to the present period, representing a slight decline of 5.3 percent compared to the corresponding period last year.

Resorts remained the most popular accommodation option among travellers, hosting 604,888 visitors.

Guesthouses followed with 211,275 tourists, while hotels accommodated 22,512 guests.

Another 19,222 visitors chose to stay aboard safari vessels during their trips.

The tourism industry currently includes 179 operational resorts and 952 guesthouses across the country.

Among international markets, China remained the largest contributor of tourists to the Maldives with 134,838 arrivals recorded this year.

Russia ranked second with 116,010 visitors, followed by the United Kingdom with 75,886 arrivals. Italy and Germany also remained among the top-performing markets.

Air travel continued to serve as the primary mode of entry for international visitors, with more than 865,000 arrivals recorded through airports nationwide.

Velana International Airport handled the overwhelming majority of incoming tourists, processing over 854,000 arrivals.

Smaller volumes of visitors arrived through Gan International Airport, Maafaru International Airport, Hanimaadhoo International Airport, Villa International Airport Maamigili and Dhaalu Airport.