Tourist arrivals to the Maldives in December have begun on a strong footing, with data from the first six days showing a 12.4 percent increase compared with the same period last year. According to the Ministry of Tourism’s daily update, 37,901 visitors entered the country between 1 and 6 December, compared with 33,733 during the same period in 2024.
The figures point to steady momentum heading into what is traditionally the Maldives’ busiest month. Daily arrivals in the opening week ranged from around 5,500 to nearly 7,700, with the 6 December count standing out as the highest so far. The early-December average now sits at 6,317 visitors per day, setting the pace for what could become one of the strongest year-end performances on record.
This uplift comes on the back of a consistent year for the tourism sector. As of 6 December, total arrivals for 2025 have reached 2,059,962, already surpassing the full-year total of 2024. Resorts continue to hold the largest share of tourist accommodation, accounting for 73.6 percent of arrivals, while guesthouses host about 21.6 percent. China remains the top source market with 316,147 arrivals, followed by Russia and the United Kingdom.
Monthly trends also show year-on-year growth across most of 2025, with double-digit increases in several months, including April, June and November. The early data for December suggests that the upward trajectory may continue through the holiday season, which typically draws the highest influx of visitors for the year.
