Tourist arrivals likely to cross 2m target, reach 2.3m, minister says
1.8 million tourists visited Maldives last year.
Maldives is expected to receive 2.3 million tourists this year, exceeding the government's target of 2 million, tourism minister Ibrahim Faisal said Tuesday.
Speaking at the launch of the Maldives Youth Hackathon at the Art Gallery in Male, Faisal said he hoped the hackathon would give birth to platforms like Booking.com and Agoda.
While 1.8 million tourists visited Maldives last year, the 2024 arrivals is expected to cross the target of 2 million, he said.
"... With the work with the MMPRC, we are targeting 2 million. However, if the Chinese and Indian markets are maintained at the current level, I think we can end 2024 at 2.3 million arrivals," he said.
Faisal said he hopes to develop special applications and platforms for tourists who want to visit Maldives.
“It will become a very popular application in marketing Maldives' tourism in France, Italy, Russia, China and India. Anywhere in the world, people can book a resort in Maldives; I hope something like this will be made possible [through the hackathon],” he said.
