Tourist arrivals in the Maldives are expected to finish the year below the previous record, according to the government.
Finance Minister Hassan Zareer told Parliament that while the original budget assumed 2.4 million arrivals, the revised projection is 2.17 million. He said total arrivals by the end of 2026 should still be close to the 2.25 million recorded in 2025.
Ministry of Tourism statistics show 1.7 million visitors so far this year, about 66,000 fewer than the same period last year. The decline has been linked to disruptions from the Middle East conflict, which affected travel in peak months.
If the revised forecast holds, it would break a five-year run of year-on-year growth in arrivals.
The government has designated 2027 as Visit Maldives Year and is targeting between 2.28 million and 2.5 million arrivals next year.
