- The Maldives welcomed 79,529 tourists between 1 and 14 October 2026, down 3.9% from the same period in 2025, though 11.4% above 2024 levels.
- October's daily average of 5,681 arrivals outpaced September by 14.5%, with the busiest day on 10 October recording 7,241 visitors.
- Total 2026 arrivals reached 1,651,506 by 14 October, trailing last year by 67,753, with China and Russia remaining the top source markets.
Tourist arrivals to the Maldives gathered pace in the opening fortnight of October compared with September’s daily average, but remained below the same period last year, extending the shortfall in arrivals recorded so far in 2026.
The country welcomed 79,529 tourists between 1 and 14 October, according to the Ministry of Tourism & Civil Aviation. This was 3,241 fewer than the 82,770 arrivals recorded during the corresponding period in 2025, a decline of 3.9%.
An average of approximately 5,681 tourists arrived each day during the fortnight, compared with around 5,912 a year earlier. The difference amounts to about 232 fewer visitors a day.
However, the figures show an increase in the daily pace compared with September, when the Maldives received 148,801 tourists, averaging approximately 4,960 a day. October’s opening fortnight was around 14.5% ahead of that daily average, indicating higher arrival volumes as the final quarter began.
Daily arrivals fluctuated considerably. The busiest day was 10 October, when 7,241 tourists entered the country, followed by 6,733 on 11 October. The lowest figure was 4,284 on 5 October. These stronger individual days were insufficient to bring the fortnight’s total up to last year’s level.
The performance nevertheless remained above October 2024, when 71,388 tourists arrived during the same 14-day period. This year’s figure was approximately 11.4% higher, placing arrivals between the levels recorded in the previous two years.
The October results brought total tourist arrivals for 2026 to 1,651,506 by 14 October, down from 1,719,259 at the same point in 2025. The country therefore remained 67,753 tourists, or approximately 3.9%, behind last year.
China and Russia remained the largest source markets for the year to date, accounting for 317,524 and 239,816 tourists respectively. Together, they represented roughly one-third of all tourist arrivals. The United Kingdom ranked third, followed by Germany, Italy and India.
Across the year to 14 October, resorts received 73.9% of tourists, while guesthouses accounted for 21.8%. These figures show that resorts continued to receive the majority of visitors, with guesthouses attracting slightly more than one in five.
