Tourism Minister Thoriq Ibrahim stated that tourist arrivals from India to the Maldives are showing signs of growth after a period of decline.
Speaking at a press conference held at the President’s Office on Wednesday, the minister presented a chart indicating a gradual monthly increase in tourist arrivals from India since the beginning of 2025.
India, which had previously been the leading source market for tourists to the Maldives, saw a sharp decline in arrivals last year. This was attributed to strained relations between the two countries earlier in the current administration.
According to Thoriq, Indian tourist arrivals in February 2025 exceeded those in January, and March figures continued the upward trend.
“There was a decline in Indian tourists in the first quarter of last year. However, this year our pattern shows that it is going up every month,” he said.
The Ministry of Tourism is currently carrying out several promotional campaigns to encourage travel from India. These include:
- Joint promotions with Indian airline IndiGo
- A marketing campaign through an e-commerce platform
- Media familiarisation trips
- A campaign with a top Indian application
- Visit Maldives Week in Mumbai, Indore, and Ahmedabad
- Promotional visits in Delhi, Kolkata, and Raipur
- Maldives Week in Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru
The most recent arrival data is as follows:
- As of 28 January 2025: 9,184 tourists
- As of 25 February 2025: 10,137 tourists
- As of 11 March 2025: 4,505 tourists
Thoriq also said that further promotional efforts are planned, including collaborations with prominent film actors from the Indian entertainment industry.
