The Maldives has seen a shift in tourist preferences from resort stays to guesthouses, causing a revenue downturn for resorts, despite a surge in tourist arrivals for 2024.
The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry reports that the popular tourist destination saw a decline in resort revenues from $4,4 billion (R81 billion) in 2022 to $3,9 billion (R72 billion) in 2023.
The organisation attributed this to a change in traveller preferences, with more passengers opting to stay in guesthouses over traditional resorts.
The Ministry of Tourism says a record number of over 680 000 tourists has arrived on its shores so far this year and attributed the increase to a diversification of accommodation options. This is a 7,3% increase compared with the same period last year, according to the Ministry.
The Ministry’s latest statistics revealed that in 2024, the archipelago has 176 resorts, 15 hotels, 843 guesthouses and 147 live-aboard vessels.
