Tourist arrivals to the Maldives declined in June, as disruptions linked to the Middle East war added pressure during what is already a softer period for the country’s tourism industry.
The Maldives recorded 123,552 tourist arrivals in June 2026, down from 141,772 in June 2025. This represents a decline of 12.9 per cent, or 18,220 fewer tourists compared with the same month last year.
While June falls within the Maldives’ lower-season period, the sharper year-on-year decline reflects the continued effect of travel disruption across key long-haul routes. The Middle East is a major aviation transit region for travellers moving between Europe, Asia and the Indian Ocean, and instability in the region has affected airline operations, routing, fares and traveller confidence.
The June figure was also lower than May 2026, when the Maldives recorded 139,746 tourist arrivals. This means arrivals fell by 16,194 tourists from May to June, a month-on-month decline of about 11.6 per cent.
Daily arrivals in June moved unevenly across the month. The lowest daily figure was recorded on 8 June, with 3,462 tourists, while the highest was recorded on 27 June, with 4,969 arrivals. The month averaged around 4,118 tourist arrivals per day.
The June slowdown further weakened the country’s first-half performance. From January to June 2026, the Maldives received 1,044,667 tourists, compared with 1,108,130 during the same period in 2025. This leaves the sector 63,463 tourists behind last year, a decline of around 5.7 per cent.
The first-half trend shows how quickly the market shifted after a strong start to the year. Tourist arrivals grew in January and February compared with 2025, but the sector then recorded steep declines in March and April as travel disruption intensified. May showed a modest recovery, before June again fell below last year’s level.
China remained the largest source market as of 30 June 2026, with 168,677 arrivals and a 16.1 per cent share. Russia followed with 150,187 arrivals, accounting for 14.4 per cent. The United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and India were the next largest markets.
Resorts continued to account for the largest share of tourist accommodation, receiving 752,477 tourists, or 72 per cent of arrivals in the first half of the year. Guesthouses accounted for 243,843 arrivals, representing 23.3 per cent, while hotels and tourist vessels made up smaller shares.
As of 30 June, the Maldives had 1,296 tourist accommodation facilities in operation, with a combined operational bed capacity of 67,850. Resorts accounted for the largest share of beds in operation, followed by guesthouses, safari vessels and hotels.
The June figures point to a more difficult mid-year period for the tourism sector. Although seasonal softness is expected, the wider impact of disrupted air travel has made the decline more pronounced than a normal low-season adjustment.
