Male : The Maldives, one of the world's most popular travel destinations, continues its upward trajectory in tourism growth. According to the latest figures released by the Ministry of Tourism, the Maldives welcomed 27,322 tourists during the first week of September 2024.

This marks a solid start to the final quarter of the year, as the island nation aims to achieve its ambitious goal of 2 million tourist arrivals by year-end.

Despite a slight 2.6 per cent drop in arrivals compared to the same period in 2023, the 2024 figure remains higher than the 25,856 arrivals recorded in the first week of September 2022.

The Maldives has recorded 1,386,530 tourist arrivals between January 1 and September 7, 2024, representing a 10.2 per cent increase compared to the 1,258,120 arrivals during the same period in 2023. The figures also show a considerable jump from the 1,104,499 arrivals recorded in 2022.

On average, the Maldives is welcoming 5,524 tourists per day in 2024, with visitors spending approximately eight days in the country. The highest daily tourist arrival record for the year was set on February 10, 2024, when over 10,000 visitors touched down at Velana International Airport (VIA).