Tourist arrivals to the Maldives saw a significant boost in April 2025, making it the most successful April in recent years. According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Tourism, 198,322 visitors arrived during the month, marking a 17.8% increase compared to April 2024 and the highest April tally on record.
This sharp growth follows a relatively modest increase of 2.4% between April 2023 and April 2024, when arrivals grew from 164,357 to 168,366. The jump to nearly 200,000 arrivals this year reflects renewed momentum in the Maldives’ tourism recovery, with April 2025 outperforming both previous years by a wide margin.
The average daily arrival rate for April stood at approximately 6,611 tourists, a notable rise from around 5,612 in April 2024 and 5,479 in April 2023. If measured by net gain, April 2025 brought in over 29,000 more visitors than April the previous year.
This year’s performance is particularly striking given the seasonal dip that typically occurs in April, following the busy winter months. Yet, April 2025 showed a stronger performance than even March 2023, which recorded 173,514 arrivals.
Year-to-Date Growth
Cumulatively, as of 3 May, total arrivals for 2025 have reached 851,531. This represents a 7.9% increase over the same period in 2024, which had recorded 788,983 arrivals by this point. Compared to 2023, when arrivals stood at 703,276 by early May, the 2025 figure is up by 21%.
The top three markets remain China (95,692), Russia (90,063), and the United Kingdom (88,820), with strong contributions also from Italy and Germany. Resorts accounted for the bulk of tourist stays at 70.7% of market share, followed by guesthouses at 23.8%.
April’s Significance
April’s 17.8% year-on-year growth makes it not just a rebound but a clear outlier in month-on-month performance for 2025 so far. January recorded 11.7% growth, February saw a slight contraction of 1.5%, and March posted a moderate 4.8% increase. April, in contrast, surged ahead, reflecting strong marketing efforts, improved air connectivity, and possibly better alignment of travel holidays with regional spring breaks.
If this trend continues, the Maldives could be on track to surpass previous annual arrival records, potentially crossing the 2 million mark again by the end of the year.
