MALE, The Maldives, 8 February 2021: The Maldives is turning into the only positive tourism story in the Asia-Pacific as the country welcomed more than 90,000 tourists in January alone.
Statistics released by the country’s tourism ministry recorded 92,103 visits in January according to a report in Avas, an online newsletter in the Maldives.
But despite the good news it still represents a 47% dip in tourist when compared with January 2020 when arrivals peaked at 173, 874.
Avas reported that tourist arrivals increased to 99,397 within the first four days of February.
Russia is the biggest supplier with 22,365 tourists while India came in second with 20,933 arrivals.
Last year, the Maldives hosted 555,494 tourists. Based on the current trend, the government says 2021 could close with 1 million visitors. That could put tiny Maldives high up the list on the Asia-Pacific arrival chart if the current dire performance continues for the rest of the year across the region.
