Tourist arrivals to the Maldives showed signs of stabilising in May, after the sector recorded sharper declines in March and April amid disruption linked to the Middle East conflict.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation’s daily update, the Maldives received 106,477 tourists between 1 and 24 May 2026. This was 1.2 percent lower than the 107,744 arrivals recorded during the same period in 2025, but higher than the 96,165 arrivals registered in the corresponding period of 2024.
The May figures mark a notable easing from the previous two months. Total visitor arrivals fell by 20.7 percent in March and 24.4 percent in April compared with 2025, after stronger growth of 5.0 percent in January and 15.7 percent in February. The weaker March and April performance came during a period of heightened regional uncertainty and aviation disruption linked to the Middle East conflict, which affected travel patterns across several markets.
By comparison, May’s 1.2 percent decline suggests that the sharp slowdown has moderated, even though arrivals remain slightly below last year’s level. Daily arrivals during the month were uneven, starting at 6,611 tourists on 1 May before dipping through the middle of the month. Arrivals later improved, reaching 5,970 on 23 May and 6,091 on 24 May.
For the year so far, the Maldives recorded 887,846 tourist arrivals as of 24 May 2026, compared with 938,488 during the same period in 2025. This represents a decline of around 5.4 percent in tourist arrivals. Total visitor arrivals, including business arrivals and cruise passengers, stood at 907,913, down 4.5 percent from last year.
Resorts continued to account for the largest share of tourist accommodation, receiving 627,915 arrivals, or 70.7 percent of all tourists so far this year. Guesthouses accounted for 216,108 arrivals, representing 24.3 percent, while hotels and tourist vessels made up smaller shares at 2.6 percent and 2.2 percent respectively.
China remained the Maldives’ largest source market with 139,584 tourists, accounting for 15.7 percent of arrivals. Russia followed with 120,019 arrivals, while the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and India remained among the top six markets.
The May performance suggests that while the tourism sector has not fully recovered from the weak March and April period, the scale of the decline has reduced significantly. With the month not yet complete, the final May figures will be closely watched to assess whether the recovery in daily arrivals can narrow the annual gap further.
