The Maldives drew 951,167 tourists by 8 June 2026. Total visitor arrivals, including business travelers and cruise passengers, hit 974,043. That figure marks a 4.8% drop against the same point in 2025. The Ministry of Tourism released the numbers in its daily update on 9 June.
The country had welcomed 1,023,591 visitors by this date last year. The 2025 calendar closed at 2,275,088 visitors.
A bumpy first half
The year opened strongly. January arrivals rose 5.0%. February surged 15.7% over the prior year. Then momentum reversed. March fell 20.7%. April dropped a steeper 24.4%. May recovered slightly, gaining 1.7%. The first eight days of June ran 26.0% below the same window in 2025.
China reclaims the lead
China sits at the top of the market table. The country sent 149,207 tourists, or 15.7% of the total. Russia follows with 131,882 arrivals and a 13.9% share. The United Kingdom holds third place at 81,862 visitors.
Italy climbed to fourth with 70,388 tourists, overtaking Germany, which slipped to fifth at 63,261. India ranks sixth with 55,306 arrivals. France, the United States, Australia, and Switzerland round out the top ten. Australia posted the sharpest climb, rising from eleventh to ninth.
Resorts still dominate the stay
Resorts host the bulk of guests. They captured 677,806 tourists, a 71.3% share. Guesthouses took second place with 227,619 visitors, or 23.9%. Hotels and tourist vessels split the remainder at 2.5% and 2.1%.
Velana handles nearly all entries
Velana International Airport processed 947,238 visitors, or 97.2% of all arrivals. The regional airports at Gan, Maafaru, Hanimaadhoo, Maamigili, and Dhaalu shared the rest of the air traffic. Sea ports counted 14,847 arrivals, a 1.5% slice.
Capacity edges up
The Maldives operated 1,291 tourist facilities by 8 June, offering 67,610 beds. The sector counts 179 resorts, 924 guesthouses, 16 hotels, and 172 safari vessels in service. Resorts supply 44,977 of those beds. Strong room stock keeps the industry ready, even as Maldives tourist arrivals track below last year’s pace.