In a historic achievement for Maldivian tourism, the arrival of the 2 millionth tourist was celebrated today as Qatar Airways flight QR 670 from Doha touched down at Velana International Airport at 08:37 AM. The milestone visitor, an Austrian national, arrived with her family to enjoy a holiday at Raffles Maldives Meradhoo Resort, marking her third visit to the country. This unprecedented milestone is the first time in the 52-year history of Maldives tourism that two million visitors have been welcomed in a single year.
To honor this significant occasion, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, alongside the Tourism Ministry, organized an elaborate celebration at the airport. In 2023, tourist arrivals reached 1.8 million, spurring Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal, under the guidance of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, to ambitiously set a target of two million tourists for 2024. However, this goal was achieved ahead of schedule, highlighting an extraordinary year for tourism in the Maldives.
The year has also witnessed record-breaking statistics, including the highest daily arrivals of 10,213 visitors on February 10, 2024, and an all-time high monthly visitor count of 217,392 in February 2024.
