A total of 198,700 Russian tourists visited the Maldives since the start of 2026, island nation officials announced during a travel industry event held in Moscow.
The figure was presented during a meeting between a delegation from the Republic of Maldives and representatives from the tourism industry, leading tour operators, and media outlets in the Russian capital.
Arrivals from Russia accounted for 14.7 per cent of all international tourist traffic to the Maldives during the period. The performance places Russia as the second largest inbound tourism market for the island republic, trailing only China.
The Republic of Maldives is an archipelagic nation located in the Indian Ocean, south-west of India and Sri Lanka. Composed of 26 natural atolls and hundreds of low-lying islands, the country relies on international tourism as its principal economic driver, with luxury resort islands catering to high-end global travellers.
Flight constraints and winter demand
Speaking in an interview with Russian news outlet Lenta.ru, Muneem Anis, the permanent secretary of the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, said the island state expects a renewed surge in demand from Russian travellers ahead of the New Year holiday period.
However, Anis highlighted that the single biggest challenge currently facing the destination is a shortage of available flights, driven by flight route disruptions associated with the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
He stated that the main task for tourism authorities is to secure additional direct flights. This objective relies on increasing the flight frequency of Russian flag carrier Aeroflot, as well as bringing new air carriers onto the route.
Anis noted that Russian air carrier S7 Airlines is currently planning to launch flights to the Maldives at the beginning of November.
Rising costs for luxury travel
Aeroflot, headquartered in Moscow, is Russia's largest airline and national flag carrier, operating regular long-haul direct routes to tropical holiday destinations. S7 Airlines, based in Novosibirsk, is one of Russia's main domestic and international airline operators.
The arrival statistics follow earlier industry reports showing that holidays in the Maldives have become noticeably more expensive for Russian holidaymakers. The average price of a premium segment tour package to the resort nation increased by 5 per cent, reaching 615,000 rubles.
Despite rising prices, the archipelago remains one of the most sought-after luxury destinations for wealthy Russian holidaymakers seeking warm-weather travel during the autumn and winter seasons.
