The 1.8 millionth tourist  that visited Maldives was warmly welcomed.

A special event was held at the Velana International Airport today to welcome the 1.8 millionth tourist.

The tourist was welcomed with traditional boduberu by Maldives Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal and Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) Managing Director Fathimath Taufiq.

The tourist was presented with various gifts by the Ministry of Tourism, MMPRC and Immigration as well as the tourism industry.

Speaking to reporters after the event to welcome the 1.8 millionth tourist to Maldives, Tourism Minister Faisal assured the government of its commitment to take the tourism industry to new heights. He also said that he is working to increase tourism revenue to  6 billion rufiya.

""Our target is to increase tourism revenue to 6 billion rufiya  by all industries related to the tourism sector." Faisal said.

Statistics show that Russia is now one of the most visited countries in the world. In addition, India and China are also major tourist destinations.

Although Maldives is already a popular destination among tourists, the MMPRC is looking for new destinations and markets to expand the tourism industry in Maldives,MMPRC's MD Fathimath Taufiq said.

The company has started researching new markets, she told reporters after today's event.