The overall number of visitor arrivals in 2021 was 138 percent greater than the previous year, the Ministry of Tourism has said.
According to tourism ministry statistics, 1.3 million tourists visited the Maldives in 2021, with a daily average of 3,622 arrivals. The total number of arrivals in 2021 increased significantly from the 555,494 tourist visits registered in 2020, with a daily average of 2,128 arrivals.
India had the biggest number of tourist arrivals in 2021, accounting for 22.1 percent of all visitors. Russia came in second with 16.8 percent of all arrivals, while the United Kingdom came in third with 7.2 percent of total arrivals in 2021.
Since the reopening of the borders in July 2020, the Maldivian tourism sector has seen steady and considerable development. On December 27, the 1.3 millionth tourist visitor milestone was reached, as well as a new single-day record for tourist arrivals since the border reopened, with 7,098 tourist arrivals.
According to the tourism ministry, 2021 was a highly successful year for Maldives tourism, with visitor bed capacity growing by 9.4% and bed nights topping 11 million, shattering the previous record of 10.7 million nights.
The Maldives was also named World’s Leading Destination at the 2021 World Travel Awards, which are worldwide recognised as the pinnacle of industry performance. The Maldives have successfully achieved the renowned title for the second year in a row.
This year also honours the Maldives’ tourism industry’s Golden Jubilee. For the year 2022, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has planned over 60 in-person events, including 17 fairs, roadshows, and events in only the first quarter.
