Record Tourist Arrivals in the Maldives in February 2010

February 2010 has brought tourist arrivals to a record high as tourist arrival mark hit 77,063 tourists according to the statistics released by the Tourism ministry.
The February figures show a 14 percent increase from the numbers in January 2010 and a big 32 percent increase compared to February 2009; which saw just over 58,500 tourist arrivals.

The ministry’s statistics also shows that China had emerged, for the first time, as the biggest market for Maldives tourism in February, beating the European markets.
The Chinese New Year holiday period may have been a factor, but also China’s rapidly growing middle class has been credited with having a substantial impact on the international travel industry. Italy came in second, with 12,000 tourists, followed by the UK with just over 10,400 tourists.

Traditionally, the United Kingdom and Italy had always claimed the top two markets but with 13,345 Chinese tourists arriving in Maldives during February, China now holds the record for the highest number of tourist arrivals in Maldives during a one-month period. China is also the second biggest contributor to Maldives tourism so far this year, emerging with a 13 percent share.

According to the Tourism Ministry, the occupancy rate for the 20,312 beds in 91 resorts of the Maldives was just over 95 percent, while the average occupancy rate was a bit lower at almost 89 percent. Tourists spent on average 7.4 days in the Maldives, the Ministry added.

Download of the past year statistics are available here.

2009 Jan-Dec Tourist Arrival Statistics - 2009 Jan-Dec Tourist Arrival Statistics