Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Ameen, has expressed full confidence that tourist arrivals to the Maldives this year will not decline compared to last year, despite the challenges posed by global shifts and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
In an exclusive interview with PSM News, the Minister stated that changes to flight routes and rising fuel costs resulting from the Middle East conflict have created obstacles for tourists traveling from key markets such as Europe. However, he noted that the government's target is to mitigate these losses and minimize the overall impact on the tourism sector throughout the year.
With over 1.19 million tourists visiting the Maldives so far this year, this represents a positive improvement compared to the 4.6 percent decline previously recorded against the same period last year. This is because the latest statistics for this month have reduced that decline to 1.4 percent. Minister Ameen stated that looking at bookings for the final two quarters of the year, the outlook appears highly promising. Furthermore, given that last year saw record-breaking tourist arrivals, matching those figures this year would be a significant achievement for the joint efforts of the government and industry stakeholders.
Although arrivals from some Middle Eastern markets have decreased, the government is working extensively to attract tourists from other countries using new marketing strategies. This is a crucial initiative being prioritized by the government to sustain the economic backbone of the Maldives.
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