Visit Maldives says it wants to “maintain” its position as a luxury destination following a milestone year of growth for the nation’s tourism.
The South Asian country has welcomed nearly 160,000 tourists from the UK in 2025, marking a 15% increase in visitors. The UK now accounts for 8.8% of total market share, behind China and Russia.
It attributes this significant growth to a range of factors, but believes that its investment in its luxury product plays a central role.
The tourism office has implemented a number of initiatives to solidify the country’s appeal to affluent travellers in the past year, including the launch of its Super Yacht campaign in September and developing branded residences such as the Baccarat Hotel and Residences.
It has also recently celebrated the opening of Velana International Airport’s new terminal, a $585 million building that aims to decrease congestion and provide airline passengers with a more seamless experience.
Abdulla Ghiyas, chairperson at Visit Maldives Corporation, told TTG Luxury that he believes the new terminal better aligns with the Maldives’ luxurious reputation, and thereby is more appealing to a high-income visitor.
“We still want to maintain Brand Maldives as an affluent, high-end brand,” he said. “We believe that people stay here because they want to showcase they’ve been to the Maldives. We will always maintain it as a premium destination.”
Ghiyas acknowledges, however, that the traditional USP for the Maldives is no longer sufficient.
“We’ve seen more people in the last couple years coming up with the similar hardware as destination Maldives,” he explained. He’s right; the recently opened Anantara Mina Al Arab in the UAE has been inspired by Maldivian aesthetic, while Ksamil – a coastal village in southern Albania with pristine turquoise waters – is now being touted as the ‘Maldives of Europe.’
“You can create water bungalows anywhere in the world, but what differentiates us is our culture: our gastronomy, behind the sunny side,” he said.
Ghiyas added that the Maldives is also committed to targeting affluent travellers who will stay longer, like those visiting from Scandinavia and the US.
