Gov’t Expects Maldives To Maintain 2025 Tourism Arrivals Despite Middle East Conflict
Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Ameen has expressed confidence that the Maldives will maintain tourist arrival numbers this year despite the impact of the Middle East conflict on global travel.
Speaking in an interview with state media, PSM News, Ameen said the war had disrupted international transport networks and affected one of the Maldives’ key tourism markets. However, he said the government and industry stakeholders were implementing targeted measures to minimise the impact on the country’s tourism sector.
According to the minister, the government has expanded its marketing efforts and diversified its focus towards additional source markets to offset weaker demand from the Middle East.
Ameen said 2025 was the strongest year on record for the Maldivian tourism industry, making it a significant achievement if the country is able to match last year’s arrival figures by the end of 2026.
He added that the year-on-year decline in arrivals had narrowed considerably and that current booking trends for the third and fourth quarters, together with industry assessments, had strengthened confidence that the Maldives could close the year without falling below last year’s performance.
The conflict in the Middle East has resulted in changes to international flight routes and higher travel costs, creating additional challenges for long-haul destinations such as the Maldives.
Ministry statistics show that, as of 27 July 2026, the Maldives had welcomed 1,229,419 visitors, including 1,204,204 tourists. During the same period in 2025, the country recorded 1,287,850 visitors, including 1,269,896 tourists.
While total visitor arrivals remain 4.5 percent lower than the same period last year, tourist arrivals have narrowed to a 5.2 percent year-on-year decline, with the government expecting stronger performance during the remainder of the year.
