The Maldives has welcomed its one millionth tourist of 2026, reaching the milestone within the first six months of the year.
The one millionth visitor was Almudena Esparza from Spain, who arrived in the Maldives with her husband for a holiday at a guesthouse in V. Fulidhoo. The trip marks their first visit to the country.
Tourism Minister Mohamed Ameen welcomed the couple at a ceremony held at Velana International Airport after they arrived on a Qatar Airways flight.
Speaking at the event, Ameen said reaching the one million visitor mark by June was a significant achievement, particularly amid challenges faced by the tourism industry due to the conflict in the Middle East.
He said efforts are continuing to attract more airlines and visitors to the Maldives, while expressing confidence in progressing towards the government’s target of 2.5 million tourist arrivals this year.
Despite the milestone, tourist arrivals remain about five percent lower than the same period last year, while arrivals in June were down 17 percent compared to June 2025.
