The Maldives celebrated a significant milestone today as it welcomed its one millionth tourist for the year 2023, achieving this feat a month earlier than last year. This accomplishment puts the country on track to reach its target of 1.8 million tourists by the end of 2023, as set by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The lucky one millionth tourist was Mr. Anton Pavlov, a British national, who arrived with his family on a British Airways flight (BA061) this morning. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Senior Officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation, Maldives Airports Company Limited, and Maldives Immigration, and were treated to a cultural performance as they were escorted to the event area.

To mark this special occasion, Anton received gift packs from various organizations including the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation, Maldives Airports Company Limited, Maldives Immigration, and the tourism industry. The gift pack from the Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation included a collection of locally-sourced products that are essential for a memorable holiday in the Maldives.

The success in attracting tourists this year can be attributed to the comprehensive marketing efforts employed during the first two quarters. The Maldives saw a boost in arrival numbers following the resumption of direct flights between the Maldives and China, one of the top-performing markets since January 2023. This direct flight connection, which had been suspended for three years, positively impacted arrival numbers. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese market consistently ranked at the top in terms of arrivals, and it has already secured the fourth spot for 2023, with an astounding 1,659.5% growth compared to the same period last year.

Another noteworthy marketing event organized by the Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation is the Visit Maldives Storytellers’ Conference 2023, held from May 30th to June 2nd. This conference, held during the low season to boost arrivals, received widespread coverage on Visit Maldives’ social media platforms, reaching over 89,517,434 individuals globally. The increased exposure for different regions of the Maldives during the sideline activities of this event is expected to further increase arrivals and disperse bookings across the country.

The Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation has implemented strategic marketing activities to attract more visitors and achieve the President’s target of 1.8 million tourists this year. Collaborations with global stakeholders such as airlines, tour operators, and travel agents have been instrumental in driving arrival figures. Most of the top source markets have already surpassed pre-pandemic arrival numbers. The current top five markets for the Maldives in 2023 are Russia, India, the UK, China, and Germany. India, which consistently held the top spot for arrivals, has now moved to the second position with 117,131 visitors, closely followed by Russia with 117,198 visitors as of July 15th, 2023. Additionally, there have been 84,763 visitors from the UK, 77,202 visitors from China, and 69,074 visitors from Germany this year. Both the UK and German markets have already exceeded pre-pandemic arrival figures by 2022. Notably, this is the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic that China, one of the traditionally strongest markets for the Maldives, has entered the top five.

In 2022, the Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation carried out a total of 178 marketing activities, including campaigns, fairs, roadshows, virtual events, familiarization trips, and other events worldwide. This year, they have already conducted 113 different marketing activities, tailored to the preferences and travel trends of various key markets, with a combined reach of 4,168,605,812 in the first six months of 2023.