Tourist arrivals to the Maldives reached 224,788 in January 2026, marking a solid start to the year and reflecting continued momentum from last year’s strong performance. Compared with January 2025, arrivals increased by 4.6 percent, translating to an additional 7,251 visitors over the month.
January’s performance places the Maldives ahead of its January 2024 total of 192,385 arrivals and builds on the steady growth recorded across 2025. While the increase is moderate, it reinforces the country’s ability to sustain high visitor volumes during the peak season, even amid capacity constraints and shifting market dynamics.
Russia remained the largest source market in January, contributing 29,370 arrivals and accounting for 13.1 percent of total visitors. Italy followed closely with 23,171 arrivals, while China ranked third with 22,676 visitors, continuing its recovery as a key market. The United Kingdom and Germany rounded out the top five, highlighting the continued importance of European markets during the winter season.
Air connectivity during the month remained heavily concentrated at Velana International Airport, which handled nearly 99 percent of all arrivals. Regional airports and domestic gateways continued to play a marginal role, underscoring the centralisation of international traffic through the main hub.
Resorts continued to dominate accommodation choices, hosting more than two thirds of visitors in January. Guesthouses accounted for just over a quarter of arrivals, reflecting their sustained role in absorbing demand, particularly from price sensitive and regional travellers. Hotels and safari vessels together represented a small but stable share of total arrivals.
By the end of January, the Maldives had 66,906 tourist beds in operation, with resorts accounting for roughly two thirds of total capacity. Guesthouses made up nearly a quarter of available beds, while hotels and safari vessels comprised the remainder. Capacity levels remained broadly unchanged from the end of last year, suggesting that January’s growth was driven primarily by demand rather than new supply.
Taken together, January’s figures point to a stable and resilient tourism sector entering 2026. While growth has eased compared with the post pandemic rebound years, the month’s performance indicates that the Maldives continues to hold its ground in key source markets, setting a steady baseline for the rest of the year.
