Tourist arrivals to the Maldives fell in the first nine days of May 2026, reflecting both the beginning of the low season and the wider pressure placed on travel demand by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
According to the latest daily update from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, the Maldives recorded 42,533 tourist arrivals between 1 and 9 May 2026. This marks a 13.6 percent decline compared with the same period last year, when arrivals stood at 49,246.
The early May figures follow a sharp slowdown in March and April, suggesting that weaker momentum has extended beyond the usual seasonal easing. Tourist arrivals stood at 224,788 in January and 247,722 in February, before falling to 161,259 in March and 147,600 in April. April arrivals were significantly lower than the 198,322 tourists recorded in April 2025.
While May typically marks the start of a slower travel period for the Maldives, the current decline is also taking place against a more difficult external environment. The Middle East conflict has affected travel sentiment, air connectivity and operating costs across parts of the global tourism market, placing additional pressure on destinations that depend heavily on long-haul arrivals.
Daily arrivals in May have also been uneven. The month began with 6,611 tourists on 1 May, before falling to 5,456 on 2 May and 5,437 on 3 May. Arrivals then dropped below 4,300 for several days, reaching 3,639 on 7 May, before recovering to 5,012 on 9 May.
For the year so far, the Maldives has received 823,902 tourists as of 9 May 2026, down 5.4 percent compared with the same period in 2025. Total visitor arrivals, including tourists, business arrivals and cruise passengers, stood at 843,969.
The decline comes despite continued arrivals from major source markets. China remained the leading market with 128,164 tourists, accounting for 15.6 percent of total arrivals so far this year. Russia followed with 110,162 arrivals, or 13.4 percent, while the United Kingdom ranked third with 74,106 arrivals. Italy, Germany and India were also among the top six markets.
Resorts continued to account for the largest share of tourist stays, receiving 577,256 arrivals, or 70.1 percent of total tourist arrivals. Guesthouses accounted for 205,106 arrivals, representing 24.9 percent, while hotels and tourist vessels made up smaller shares.
The country had 68,169 operational beds as of 9 May 2026, with resorts accounting for 45,101 beds. Guesthouses accounted for 16,907 beds, while hotels and safari vessels contributed 2,654 and 3,507 beds respectively.
The May figures point to a more challenging period for the tourism industry, where seasonal weakness is being compounded by external uncertainty. For the Maldives, the coming weeks will show whether the decline remains a temporary low-season adjustment or reflects a broader demand slowdown linked to regional instability and changing travel conditions.
