Australia has risen to become the Maldives’ seventh-largest source market for tourist arrivals, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
So far this year, 39,487 Australian tourists have visited the country, up 20.2 per cent from 32,843 in the same period last year. Australians now account for 2.4 per cent of total arrivals. At the end of last year, Australia ranked 11th.
Arrivals from Australia more than doubled in the second half of the year after 17,737 visitors in the first six months.
In response to the growth, national carrier Maldivian launched direct flights to Melbourne on 18 May. Following strong demand, the airline plans to introduce scheduled weekly services from next year using Airbus A330 aircraft from its fleet.
China remains the leading source market with more than 300,000 arrivals. Russia has recorded more than 200,000, while the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy each exceed 100,000. India has contributed more than 95,000 arrivals.
The rise of Australia as a significant market highlights diversification in the Maldives’ tourism base beyond traditional European and Asian sources. Direct air connectivity is expected to support further growth in the Australian segment.
