Market Outlook

Tourist arrivals to the Maldives have been showing a promising growth with a total of 113,073 recorded visitors for the first two months of 2006. Based on the current demand forecasts, the arrivals to the Maldives this year would break the record arrivals of 616,716 tourists registered in 2004. With 6.5% growth forecast for 2006 (PATA, 2005) and the new resort developments planned, the Maldives tourism industry is expected to maintain a sound forward pace in the coming years.

Tourist arrivals to the Maldives for January and February 2006 indicate significant changes in the market share of traditional markets. Currently the leading market is Italy (24.5%); last year's market leader United Kingdom is in the second place (15.8%); third most significant market is France (12.2%). The increased growth of arrivals from France this year has pushed the 1990's market leader Germany to fourth place with 11% of the market share. In the fifth place are Japan and Switzerland, neck to neck, both with a market share of 4.6%.

Even though the world has witnessed a number of upheavals, "the tourism sector has gained substantially in resilience over the past years” - UNWTO Secretary-General, Francesco Frangialli.

As new developments often lead to further product diversification, opening of the proposed new resorts would enable the Maldives to be more competitive.