Maldives: Recorded 1 Million Tourist Influx

According to statistics released by the government, Maldives recorded its tourism target of 1 million arrivals. Several events have been planned to celebrate the achievement. Maldives Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adheeb said, “Tourist arrivals for 2013 had reached 1,000,203. We achieved our target on November 24; I’d like to share this great news with you. Tireless efforts were made to achieve this target amid serious political challenges, and that a higher target will be set for next year.”

Most tourists had arrived from Asian countries whilst eastern European tourists had majorly contributed to the figure, Adeeb said.Expenditure on tourism is an investment, and that several dollars will be earned for every one dollar invested in the tourism industry. Therefore, the Maldivian government is attempting to double tourism-related investment of 6.6 million US dollars, he added.

The minister hailed the influx of over 1 million tourists as a chief achievement to the industry despite several obstacles. Adeeb noted the efforts of tourism promotion and new airlines to Maldives as the factors, which helped the country to reach the milestone.