Tourist arrivals to the Maldives have slowed in May, extending the softer performance seen in March and April as the industry moves into the low season.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation’s Daily Update published on 14 May, the Maldives recorded 58,251 tourist arrivals between 1 and 13 May 2026. This is a 12.7 per cent decline compared with the 66,700 arrivals recorded during the same period in 2025. The May figure is, however, slightly above the 58,015 arrivals recorded during the same period in 2024.
The decline places May in line with a broader slowdown in recent months. Tourist arrivals fell by 20.7 per cent in March and 24.4 per cent in April compared with the same months last year. The fall in May is narrower than in the previous two months, but it still indicates that demand remains below last year’s levels.
Daily arrival figures also show a clear easing during the first half of the month. Arrivals stood at 6,611 on 1 May before falling to 5,456 on 2 May and 5,437 on 3 May. By 13 May, daily arrivals had dropped to 3,216. The average for the first 13 days of May stood at around 4,481 tourists per day, compared with about 5,131 per day during the same period last year.
For the year so far, the Maldives recorded 839,620 tourist arrivals as of 13 May 2026, down 6.4 per cent from the 897,444 tourists recorded during the same period in 2025. Total visitor arrivals, including tourists, business arrivals and cruise passengers, stood at 859,687, a 5.5 per cent decline from last year.
China remained the largest source market so far this year, with 130,932 tourist arrivals and a 15.6 per cent market share. Russia followed with 112,718 arrivals, accounting for 13.4 per cent. The United Kingdom ranked third with 74,986 arrivals, while Italy and Germany completed the top five.
Resorts continued to account for the largest share of tourist stays, receiving 589,552 tourists, or 70.2 per cent of arrivals. Guesthouses received 207,952 tourists, representing 24.8 per cent, while hotels accounted for 22,148 tourists and tourist vessels for 18,824.
The data suggests that May’s decline is partly seasonal, as the month typically marks the beginning of a quieter period for the Maldives tourism industry. However, the year-on-year fall also comes after two unusually weak months due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, making the May trend important for assessing whether the slowdown is stabilising or continuing into the middle of the year.
Operational capacity remained steady, with 1,320 tourist accommodation facilities in operation as of 13 May. These included 180 resorts, 952 guesthouses, 16 hotels and 172 safari vessels, offering a combined operational bed capacity of 68,185.
