Tourist arrivals in the Maldives recorded a strong start to 2026, with the first week of the year showing a notable increase compared to the same period last year, according to the latest daily tourism update released on 7 January.
As of 6 January 2026, total arrivals for the year stood at 43,481, up from 37,928 during the corresponding period in 2025. This represents an increase of 14.6 percent year-on-year, indicating continued momentum in visitor numbers at the start of the peak season.
Daily arrival figures during the first six days of January remained consistently high, averaging more than 7,200 visitors per day. Arrivals peaked over the New Year weekend before moderating slightly during the first working days of the year, a pattern broadly in line with seasonal travel behaviour observed in previous years.
European markets dominated arrivals in the opening week of 2026. Russia emerged as the largest source market, accounting for 21 percent of total arrivals, followed by Italy with a 16.2 percent share. The United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States rounded out the top five markets. Together, the top ten source markets accounted for a substantial majority of arrivals, reflecting the Maldives’ continued reliance on long-haul leisure travel at the start of the year.
Resort stays continued to dominate accommodation choices, accounting for 69 percent of all tourists, while guesthouses hosted just over a quarter of visitors. Hotels and safari vessels made up the remainder, indicating a broadly stable distribution across accommodation types compared to recent years.
Capacity figures suggest the sector entered 2026 with minimal constraints. As of 6 January, more than 67,600 beds were operational across resorts, guesthouses, hotels, and safari vessels, broadly unchanged from the previous year. This level of capacity appears sufficient to absorb the higher arrival numbers recorded during the first week without immediate pressure on occupancy.
The strong opening to 2026 builds on a high base established in 2025, when total annual arrivals reached over 2.24 million. While early-January figures do not necessarily indicate full-year performance, the data points to sustained demand during one of the most commercially important periods for the tourism industry.
