The Maldives has reached two million tourist arrivals for 2025, achieving the milestone earlier than in any previous year. According to the press release, the two millionth visitor, Bethany Sarah Kerswell from England, arrived at Velana International Airport on the morning of 27 November, where a ceremony was held to mark the occasion. It is her first visit to the Maldives, and she arrived for her honeymoon, with plans to stay at Outrigger Maafushivaru.
Reaching the milestone more than a month ahead of last year’s timeline reflects sustained growth across major markets and continued recovery in global travel. The country remains on track to meet its national target of 2.3 million arrivals by the end of the year.
The ceremony, held at the airport waterfront area, brought together representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Visit Maldives Corporation, Maldives Airports Company Limited, Maldives Immigration, Maldives Customs Service, government agencies, industry partners, NGOs, and media. The visitor received commemorative gifts and a holiday voucher from tourism officials and event partners.
Visit Maldives Corporation attributed the performance to several high-impact promotional activities conducted throughout 2025, including destination marketing efforts at major global travel exhibitions such as ITB Berlin, ATM Dubai, and WTM London. Outreach in key markets — China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany — also played a significant role.
The press release notes that digital visibility was strengthened through the corporation’s global partnership with Liverpool FC, while joint campaigns with airlines and tour operators supported sales channels. Roadshows, media familiarisation trips, trade fairs, and the Visit Maldives Week series further contributed to elevated engagement with the travel trade.
Visit Maldives stated that the achievement reflects the combined efforts of government agencies, industry stakeholders, and international partners, and noted that preparations are underway to maintain momentum during the upcoming year-end travel period.
