The number of tourists visiting the Maldives in May this year fell by 3.7 percent compared to the same month last year.
According to the Tourism Ministry, 120,960 tourists visited the Maldives in May this year, against 125,528 tourists that visited the archipelago during the corresponding period last year. This decrease followed a period of growth in tourist arrivals during the first four months of the year.
Tourist arrival numbers by month
January - 172,499 tourists
February - 177,915 tourists
March - 173,514 tourists
April - 164,357 tourists
May - 120,960 tourists
The decline in Maldives' tourism during May was primarily attributed to a reduction in the number of Russian tourists. The sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and the EU over the Russian-Ukrainian war are believed to contribute to the decline.
According to statistics, 809,245 tourists visited the Maldives in the first five months of the year, against 702,332 in the same period last year. Therefore, despite the decline in May, overall growth can still be observed in the tourism sector.
