The Maldivian government has set a bold target to welcome three million tourists annually by 2026, according to Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal. Speaking on state broadcaster PSM, Faisal expressed confidence that this milestone could be achieved, particularly with the upcoming completion of the new passenger terminal at Velana International Airport (VIA). However, questions remain as to whether this ambitious goal is grounded in reality.
Minister Faisal suggested that the Maldives could see a historic surge in tourist arrivals by the end of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration, potentially reaching between three and four million visitors. He emphasised the significance of the tourism sector, which remains the largest revenue generator for the Maldivian economy. Nevertheless, Faisal acknowledged a concerning trend: despite a rise in tourist numbers, overall tourism revenue has been on the decline.
A key strategy for reaching this target, according to Faisal, involves capitalising on the Indian and Chinese markets. He believes that attracting 500,000 tourists from each of these countries could significantly bolster overall arrivals, with the potential to draw one million visitors from these two markets alone.
Yet, achieving these numbers may be more challenging than anticipated. The Maldives is currently aiming for a record two million tourist arrivals in 2024, but as of August, the nation has only managed to attract just over 1.2 million visitors. The Indian market, which was once the top source of arrivals, has slipped to sixth place, with only 73,258 tourists from India as of 7th August. This downturn has prompted increased promotional efforts targeting Indian travellers, with the hope of elevating India back into the top three source markets by year-end.
Minister Faisal remains optimistic, citing the expected completion of the new VIA terminal as a catalyst for attracting additional airlines and increasing tourist inflows. The Tourism Ministry is reportedly working closely with the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) on promotional activities. Furthermore, Faisal’s recent discussions with Indian officials, including Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, focused on improving connectivity and boosting Indian tourism to the Maldives.
The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) is also stepping up its efforts, implementing strategic initiatives such as the Globalspa campaign and partnerships with Cleartrip and Pickyourtrail. These efforts are intended to reinforce the Maldives as a premier destination for Indian travellers.
Despite these initiatives, the question remains: can the Maldives realistically achieve three million tourist arrivals by 2026? While the government’s aspirations are clear, the current trends suggest that meeting this target will require significant, sustained efforts and a reversal of the recent decline in key markets.
As the Maldives continues to position itself as a world-leading destination—having won the WTA World’s Leading Destination award for the fourth consecutive year in 2023—the coming years will reveal whether these ambitious goals can be transformed into reality or if they are overly optimistic in the face of evolving global travel dynamics.
