Maldives sets sights on 3 million tourists by 2027; India among top 6 markets
Abdulla Yasir, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Visit Maldives Corporation
With a target of 3 million international tourist arrivals by 2027, Maldives is looking to strengthen connectivity and develop new segments as it works towards the next phase of tourism growth. India remains an important market in that strategy, although it currently sits outside the destination’s top 5 source markets.
Abdulla Yasir, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Visit Maldives Corporation, shared with T3 about the India opportunity, connectivity, Halal tourism and the destination’s expectations for 2027.
The 3-million visitor ambition
According to Ministry of Tourism & Civil Aviation, Republic of Maldives, the country welcomed 1.57 million tourists between January 1 and September 29, 2026, compared with 1.63 million during the corresponding period in 2025, registering a 3.4% decline. The destination had recorded 2.25 million tourist arrivals in the full year 2025, up from 2.05 million in 2024.
Monthly figures indicate a mixed performance in 2026. Arrivals increased by 17.7% in February to 247,722, following 224,788 in January, which represented 5% year-on-year growth. However, the market experienced significant declines in March and April, with arrivals falling by 19.8% and 24.4%, respectively. August registered a modest recovery, with 195,390 arrivals, up 2.1% year on year. September recorded 143,666 arrivals through the 29th, marginally below the 144,020 visitors during the same period in 2025.
“As of 2026, we might not experience a great growth because of the Middle East crisis, because a lot of our Western tourists were transiting through Middle East.” The Maldives is now seeing signs of recovery and expects to close 2026 around the previous year’s level. “We are hoping we’ll close this year somewhere around the numbers from last year i.e. 2.25 or a bit less,” Yasir shared.
Yasir remains confident that the Maldives is progressing towards the President's vision of welcoming 3 million tourists, which is now central to its tourism strategy. “Not this year, but we are hopeful of achieving this target next year.”
India in top 6 source markets
“India is very important, of course, because for the Maldives in its growth, we need to be open to it. And India is the closest neighbouring country,” Yasir said. For Indian travellers, proximity remains a natural advantage. Flights from different Indian cities to the Maldives are relatively short and accessible, helping the destination fit into a range of travel budgets. “We offer everything from guesthouses to the ultra-luxury segment, catering to different budgets and requirements.”
India currently ranks 6th among Maldives' source markets, contributing 90,392 tourist arrivals between January and September 29, 2026. Indian visitors account for 5.8% of the destination's total tourist arrivals during the period. China led the rankings with 298,891 visitors (19.1%), followed by Russia with 228,681 (14.6%), the UK with 119,687 (7.6%), Germany with 98,825 (6.3%) and Italy with 97,913 (6.2%). India was therefore fewer than 7,600 arrivals behind Italy, the fifth-largest source market.
“But we hope we can have more interest in our products,” Yasir said. The destination is also seeing repeat visitors from India, adding to the potential from the Indian market.
Connectivity - the growth enabler
For the Maldives, expanding air connectivity is fundamental to increasing visitor numbers. Air travel accounted for 99% of all visitor arrivals through September 29, 2026. Velana International Airport handled 1.56 million arrivals, representing 97.9% of the total. “Connectivity is an important aspect. And that’s the only way we could grow our industry to bring more tourists to the Maldives.”
Visit Maldives is in discussions with Middle Eastern airlines and plans to continue engaging with Asian carriers to explore new corridors and connections. The immediate focus is on building a stronger network for the year ahead.
“At this point in time, we are looking at the options and the possibilities. For next year, we need more connections, more travellers coming in. Next year is very important to us,” shared Yasir. That importance is closely linked to the destination’s Visit Maldives 2027 campaign.
Halal-certified tourism push
“We are planning to strengthen our hold on Halal-certified tourism, this is something we are working on very hard.” Dedicated islands are expected to come up in the period ahead to cater to travellers seeking Halal-certified travel and tourism. At the same time, existing properties will be encouraged to explore certification and related opportunities.
Yasir sees this segment as a high-value opportunity rather than a niche proposition. “You find travellers spending USD 1,000 to USD 3,000 a night to spend in the Halal tourism category. There’s no reason why anyone should be shy about it.”
