The Maldives reached a major tourism milestone on Thursday, welcoming its two millionth international visitor of the year—a full month earlier than the previous year. The achievement marks a powerful acceleration in the nation’s tourism recovery and growth trajectory.
The milestone visitor, Bethany Sarah from the United Kingdom, arrived at Velana International Airport (VIA) for her honeymoon and was greeted with a special ceremony. Expressing her joy at the unexpected honour, she praised Maldivians as “very kind and friendly people.”
Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim attended the event, describing the accomplishment as a result of the industry’s collective dedication. He highlighted a substantial improvement in arrivals, noting a surge of 9.8 to 10 percent compared to the same period last year—growth he called “highly significant.”
Reaching the two-million mark earlier than ever before reflects the strong upward momentum of Maldives tourism. Last year, the milestone was achieved on 26 December; surpassing it a month ahead this year underscores the country’s rising appeal among global travellers.
Currently, the Maldives maintains a steady inflow of over 6,000 arrivals per day, with China as the top source market, contributing more than 300,000 visitors so far. Minister Thoriq reiterated that sustaining this record-breaking performance will depend on the continued commitment of all stakeholders across the industry.
