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International tourism, number of arrivals - Maldives

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Not so remote after all: Record numbers of tourists are flocking to this tropical country

With over 1,000 coral islands, the world’s only underwater restaurant and idyllic beaches that inspire desktop backgrounds, the Maldives has many reasons to attract tourists. And they, indeed, make the trek. Last year, a record number of tourists visited the Indian Ocean country. 

With over 1,000 resorts, the Maldives experienced a 12% increase in tourist arrivals last year compared to 2022 – the most ever for the atoll nation – totaling over 1.88 million tourists . In 2022, the island nation saw 1.67 million arrivals. 

The most arrivals came from India, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and Germany, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism.

For the island nation, tourism is more than just welcoming new visitors. Tourism is the Maldives’ strongest economic driver, making up 58.3% of its total economy in 2022, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Over 70% of jobs in the Maldives are in the tourism industry. 

The warm-weather country targeted 1.8 million tourists for 2023 and hit that number on Dec. 20, according to a press release by the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation. The country even celebrated with a special ceremony for the Dutch tourist who was the 1.8 millionth visitor. 

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“We are immensely proud of this achievement and remain committed to reaching the targets set for our tourism industry for next year as well,” said Fathmath Thaufeeq, CEO and Managing Director of MMPRC, in a statement in December. “Every visitor who arrives in the Maldives has their breath taken away by the natural beauty of our nation, the warm hospitality of our people, and the unmatched variety of places to stay and things to do.” 

The Maldives aims to have even more tourists arrive this year, and its January arrival numbers are already surpassing the past two years. As of Jan. 3, 17,441 travelers entered the country’s borders, compared to 17,346 in 2023 and 15,618 in 2022.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

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Maldives’ tourism looking up after reopening

• Asia and the Pacific

Despite challenges faced during the year, the Maldives welcomed a total of 555,494 international tourists in 2020. In January 2021, arrival numbers stood at 92,103 and it increased to 99,397 by 3rd February 2021 with a daily average of 2,923 tourists. Though this was a decline of 47.5% compared with that of 2020, tourists are seen spending their holidays for longer duration, extending the average duration of stay in the Maldives from 7.2 days in 2020 to 9.2 days in 2021.

The Maldives observed significant changes to its top markets since re-opening of borders on 15 July 2020. As of 3rd February 2021, Russia stood at the top as the number one market with 23% shares and 22,365 tourists. India followed closely behind with 21% shares and 20,933 tourists. Ukraine, which made it to the top market list of Maldives after the re-opening of borders, stood third in the list contributing 7.8% shares with 7,709 tourists. Other top source markets include Kazakhstan (4.9%), France (4.5%), Romania (3.8%), Germany (3.7%), United Kingdom (2.6%), Czech Republic (2.2%) and U.S.A (2.1%).

The Maldives is seeing optimistic results with recovery trends from Central/Eastern Europe and South Asian region as well as some markets from the Middle East and Americas. Central/Eastern Europe and South Asia posted a double-digit growth of 63.9% and 24.6% respectively in 2021 as of 3rd February. Individual markets such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Romania posted growth rates over 100%.

Since the re-opening of Maldives borders, 27 scheduled airlines are operating to the Maldives, from various countries across the globe, most of them being long haul. The highest number of movements and passengers came from Emirates, Qatar Airways, Indigo, Go Air and Aeroflot. With the rapid growth in new markets from Central and Eastern Europe, 6 flights from the region are now operating to the Maldives.

Looking at COVID-19 situation in the Maldives, as of 3rd February over 3000 samples are being tested daily, which includes departure samples. The tourist’s positivity rate, as a percentage of total arrivals remain significantly low at 0.08% in January 2021. As of 3rd February 2021, there are 3 COVID-19 hospital facilities in greater Male’ area with 266 beds and additional 6 COVID-19 hospital facilities across the country with a total of 188 beds. In isolation facilities, tourists stay in private areas with special arrangements and are closely monitored by healthcare professionals.

The Maldives tourism recovery drive has been anchored on facilitating maximum safety and security possible to tourists, employees and the public, with minimal inconvenience.  With over 87% of the total 51,000 beds now in operation in resorts, hotels and guesthouses, and liveaboard safari boats, Maldives expects to welcome 1.5 million tourists and 10 million bed nights in 2021.

Please download

• Maldives Tourism Updates 2023 Issue - 29  as of 20 July 2023  here . 
• Maldives Tourism Updates 2023 Issue - 09  as of 02 March 2023  here . 
• Maldives Tourism Bulletin, June 2023, here

• Topics ›
• Tourism worldwide ›

The Most Important Markets for the Maldives Tourism Industry

Tourism & hospitality.

From newly elected Maldivian president Mohamed Muizzu planning for Indian military personnel to leave the island and government officials insulting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X/Twitter due to a perceived slight to the trending hashtag #BoycottMaldives: The relationship between the two nations seems to have taken a downward turn over the last couple of months. As our chart based on data by the Maldives Ministry of Tourism shows, India has been the biggest source of tourist influx in the past year.

Between January 1 and December 31 of 2023, 209,198 Indians visited the smallest country in Asia , comprised of 26 atolls and situated 750 kilometers from the Indian coast. Russia is second in terms of tourist visits to the Muslim-majority island republic, followed by China. The latter climbing 27 spots compared to 2022 can be seen as one symptom of the deepening economic and political ties between the Maldives and the People's Republic. Other relevant origin countries for tourists visiting the atolls are the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany.

The online spat between the Indian and Maldivian netizens already seems to have a palpable impact on tourism. As vice president and global head of marketing at the India-based travel software company Rategain, Ankit Chaturvedi, told CNBC on Tuesday: "We are seeing a 40 percent drop in bookings over the last two days. Most people book on weekends, and therefore the drop seems more significant because ideally [bookings] should have gone up." Tourism is an integral part of the Maldivian economy. The sector makes up more than one quarter of the island nation's economy, followed by fishing and shipping.

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This chart shows the countries with the most tourists traveling to the Maldives.

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The World Bank In Maldives

A partner of the World Bank since 1978, Maldives has been a development success story of sustained growth and impressive improvements in health and education. The country faces a number of environmental, climate, and inclusion challenges that we're working together to help address.

• Country Context

At a Glance

Maldives, a country of around 550,000 people dispersed across 185 islands, is an upper-middle-income country with a robust growth trajectory. The economy has maintained its strong growth momentum in 2023 due to rising tourist arrivals, and, with rising tourist arrivals, is expected to maintain a strong growth and poverty reduction trajectory. Overall, sustained growth performance in the last decade has significantly reduced poverty, and Maldives performs well on poverty outcomes compared to its regional, income, and small island peers. The economy is heavily dependent on tourism which has been the main driver of economic growth in Maldives and the dependence on tourism makes the country highly vulnerable to macroeconomic and external shocks. Commodity price volatility is exerting pressure on external and fiscal balances, through costlier imports and higher subsidies. In addition, existing high debt stock of the public sector, elevated levels of spending the government’s aim to undertake sizeable infrastructure investments through external non-concessional borrowing, and the presence of blanket subsidies for major consumption items have led Maldives to be exposed to elevated fiscal vulnerabilities. Public debt is expected to remain high, warranting continued efforts to reduce fiscal deficits, including comprehensive subsidy and public investment management reforms while mitigating impacts on the vulnerable.

Key Conditions and Challenges

Tourism, which accounts for almost one-third of the economy, has maintained its robust growth performance in the first half of 2023. Despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine, arrivals from Russia remain strong. An earlier-than-expected reopening of the Chinese market in January has compensated for fewer tourists from India and Gulf countries, while arrivals from Europe remained high. This supported employment opportunities, which are particularly important for the poorest. However, heavy reliance on tourism and limited sectoral diversification remain key structural challenges as Maldives is highly vulnerable to macroeconomic shocks.

As an economy that is heavily import-dependent, Maldives is facing significant external and inflationary pressures due to the sharp rise in global commodity prices. This is negatively affecting public finances given the government’s blanket provision of subsidies to help contain domestic price increases. This is further compounded by continued high capital expenditure and public debt, an increasing wage bill, and a costly health insurance scheme. Targeted austerity measures could mitigate risks to vulnerable households, particularly in the atolls, where 93 percent of the poor live, as past welfare gains have been driven by a strong redistributive model. The latter includes universal access to basic health and education services, pensions, health insurance, and income support programs – which contribute to a larger share of income for poorer households. Additional challenges to welfare include differential access to economic opportunities in Male relative to atolls – mirrored by a higher Gini index over the whole population (29.3) than within Male (25.2), higher vulnerability among the self-employed, and overcrowding affecting poorer urban households.

To promote development, Maldives has scaled up infrastructure investments since 2016. Although these investments have contributed towards growth and better living standards, financing of these large investments through non-concessional sources has led to growing debt vulnerabilities. Despite an increased cost of external borrowing, the government continued to use foreign financing for infrastructure investments in 2023, while also relying on domestic borrowing to support recurrent spending. This has led to a concerning rise in the financial sector exposure to the sovereign. The debt stock and debt servicing risks are expected to remain high in the medium term.

Recent Economic Developments

The economic growth, in real terms, was 13.9 percent (y-o-y) in 2022, followed by a 5.5 percent (y-o-y) in Q12023. The robust growth performance has led to a higher income than the pre-pandemic level, translating into projected poverty rates below 2019 levels Tourist arrivals reached 1.2 million by August 2023 and are projected at 1.9 million in 2023 – 13.8 percent higher than in 2022. However, along with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) increase in January 2023, higher global commodity prices led to rising domestic inflation, which reached an average of 3.5 percent (y-o-y) in H12023 – higher than the historical average of 0.5 percent. Price increases were particularly acute in the food -climbing to 8.0 percent in March before falling to 4.5 percent in June-, transport, health, and restaurant services sectors.

Despite growth in tourism earnings, the current account deficit doubled to 16.5 percent of GDP in 2022, due to far costlier oil imports and capital imports for large investment projects. High import costs and external debt repayments put significant pressure on gross reserves, which fell from US$790 million in January to US$594.1 million in July (from 2.8 to 2.0 months of imports).

Public finances remain under pressure. Given subsidy reforms were not implemented and capital spending cuts have not happened – both of which were proposed in the 2023 Budget – spending rose in 2023. However, this was somewhat offset by higher tax collections owing to the robust growth and increased tourism GST. Consequently, the 12-month rolling fiscal deficit declined in May to an estimated level of around 11 percent of GDP compared to 14.2 percent in 2022. MMA’s asset exposure to government further rose to 52 percent of its total financial assets at mid-2023, from 47.3 percent in 2022.

Outlook, Risks, and Challenges

The economy is projected to grow by 5.6 percent on average in the medium-term, supported by robust tourism performance. The return of Chinese tourists, together with increasing arrivals from new and existing markets are expected to lead to sustained growth. Tourism will further be supported by the expansion of Velana International Airport (planned to be completed by 2025), a diversified tourism sector, and investments in new resorts.  

Despite the recent increase in GST collections, in the absence of fiscal reforms, any meaningful improvement in the fiscal balance will be offset by continued high levels of spending. Public debt will, therefore, remain high. A larger fiscal adjustment is required to build external buffers and reduce fiscal vulnerabilities, including reducing spending on untargeted subsidies and bulk procurement for pharmaceutical purchases, and more effective public investment management. Better targeted transfers – including redirecting inefficiently allocated resources– would help mitigate the negative impacts of subsidy reforms on the poor.

High levels of consumption, elevated global commodity prices, and the GST rate hike are projected to keep inflation above the historical average in the medium term. Without targeted support, higher prices passed onto households could worsen the poverty outlook. Therefore, future subsidy reforms need to be carefully designed to minimize welfare risks.

The current account deficit is expected to remain elevated. High commodity prices and necessary capital imports driven by the government’s ambition to complete ongoing and planned infrastructure projects and commence projects in outer Atolls are expected to lead to a high current account deficit over the medium-term. Volatile oil prices and rising external financing needs – including debt servicing – are expected to sustain pressure on official reserves.

Downside risks persist. Tourism could be adversely impacted by an extended global slowdown. Any further widening of current account deficit could put additional pressure on reserves. Government faces external debt servicing payments of US$570 million on average over the next two years amidst tighter global financing conditions. On the upside, the global tourism sector outlook is robust, and with strong economic growth, poverty rates are expected to decline.

Reforms are needed to improve the fiscal outlook and ensure debt sustainability. More effective revenue mobilization measures, coupled with reforms to Aasandha national health insurance scheme and existing subsidy programs, and better investment management are critical to bring down the high level of public debt, replenish fiscal buffers against future shocks, and lower the cost of growth-enhancing investments, especially with large debt service obligations coming due in 2026.

Last Updated: Oct 04, 2023

World Bank Program in Maldives

Maldives became a member of the World Bank in 1978 and has enjoyed a trusted partnership with the institution over the past 44 years. Working together, the country has implemented various projects in support across many development areas.

Maldives has an active portfolio of 12 projects – 11 International Development Agency (IDA) projects, 1 IDA guarantee and 1 regional project – with a total net commitment of $258 million. The projects are focused on fisheries, solid waste management, renewable energy, employment and social protection, urban development, COVID-19 response, digital development, youth resilience, health systems, and financial management.

The World Bank also provides analytical support in macro monitoring and analysis, financial sector, youth and gender, health financing, social protection, and poverty.

The World Bank’s new Country Partnership Framework (2023-2027), adopted in January 2023, aims to help the Maldives navigate through risks and vulnerabilities to reach a greener, more resilient, and inclusive high-growth future. Under the new CPF, the World Bank’s engagement with the Maldives focuses on improving resilience to shocks, increasing access to economic opportunities, and improving human capital outcomes. Deepening the digital economy, to accelerate economic transformation, is also a cross cutting theme.

IFC Collaboration

Maldives joined the International Finance Corporation (IFC), in 1983. Since then, IFC has invested nearly $250 million. Currently, the portfolio in Maldives is $53 million with commitments in Dhiraagu, Bank of Maldives (BML) and Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC). 

In response to the COVID-19 crisis and in line with its strategic priorities in Maldives, IFC had pivoted resources to support key sectors adversely impacted by the pandemic. At the request of the Government, and in line with IFC’s countercyclical role, support to the Maldives with liquidity access was provided in the early stage of the pandemic. IFC’s investment of $50 million in BML provided financing for private sector companies and small and medium sized businesses in the tourism sector, to help preserve jobs and combat the negative shocks of COVID-19 on the economy. IFC also invested over $50 million directly in the tourism sector in FY20 via its investment in John Keels Holdings and $22.4 million through the Crescent Fund in FY23. Further, a $35 million landmark investment in Dhiraagu (in FY22/23), the largest telecommunications and digital service provider in the country, is helping Maldives digitize faster.

IFC’s strategy for FY21-25 in Maldives revolves around 3 pillars: sustainability, inclusion, and connectivity anchored by the tourism sector. IFC is committed to helping the Maldives achieve its ambitious target of net-zero emissions by the year 2030 through sustainable growth by increasing the use of renewable energy, further greening resorts, building climate resilient infrastructure, and enhancing sustainable waste management. Physical and digital connectivity also remain key strategic priorities along with accelerating SOE reforms. Achieving these strategic priorities will require close collaboration with the World Bank. IFC is also actively seeking to partner with other DFI’s, specifically to mobilize financing to further strengthen the Maldivian economy.

Supporting COVID-19 response:  The  COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project continues to support the Government in early detection, contact tracing, quarantine and isolation, and case management, while strengthening health systems to better respond to potential health crises.

Accelerating clean energy transition: The Accelerating Sustainable Private Investment in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) and Accelerating Renewable Energy Integration and Sustainable Energy (ARISE) projects are pivotal in driving energy sustainability in the Maldives. ASPIRE, launched in 2014, has successfully mobilized private sector investments in photovoltaic infrastructure, marking a significant financial influx. Expanding on this triumph, ARISE, initiated in 2021, incorporates IDA/MIGA guarantee mechanisms to scale renewable energy, storage, and grid upgrades. Together, the projects are poised to unlock substantial private sector funding, propelling the Maldives towards its renewable energy objectives while underlining the importance of well-designed projects in advancing sustainability.

Protecting natural resources and strengthening nature-based industries:  The World Bank's IDA support is helping island communities in enhancing local waste management, recycling, and re-use practices, including plastics. A new Transforming Fisheries Sector Management in South-West Indian Ocean Region and Maldives (TransFORM) Project will support improved biosecurity systems, decarbonization, improved implementation of management plans, and enhanced competitiveness and private sector participation for improving business climate in the fisheries sector. The Maldives Country Environmental Assessment (CEA), due for launch soon, will offer valuable insights into coastal resilience, sustainable development, and the tourism sector's environmental impact. Similarly, the Maldives Country Climate Development Report (CCDR) highlights the interconnection of climate change and development. It aims for completion within the next year, contributing to climate action and resilience building in the Maldives.

Preparing youth for the modern labor market: The Maldives Enhancing Employability and Resilience of Youth Project (MEERY) enhances the long-term capacity of the education and skills development, and entrepreneurship systems to produce new graduates in priority skills and fortify the resilience of youth to labor-market cycles. The Sustainable and Integrated Labor Services (SAILS) project aims to enhance the resilience and employability of Maldivian workers by establishing a comprehensive social insurance program and integrated labor market services.

Strengthening public financial management:  With the  Bank’s support , the Ministry of Finance has made considerable progress on improving transparency through making the budget and financial information available through an integrated financial management system.

Accelerating digital development: A new Digital Maldives for Adaptation, Decentralization and Diversification project is helping the government promote competition in the broadband market, modernize the national identification systems to facilitate online services and transactions, and improve climate-related data and analytics.

Strengthening the private sector and reforming SOEs: A new Maldives Competitiveness and Growth Project will help the government enhance private participation and critical reforms in selected SOEs and support the growth of private small and medium enterprises through increased access to commercial loans and technical support.

Maldives : Commitments by Fiscal Year (in millions of dollars)*

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Maldives Tourism Statistics

Maldives mv: international tourism: expenditures, view maldives's maldives mv: international tourism: expenditures from 1995 to 2016 in the chart:.

Maldives MV: International Tourism: Expenditures: % of Total Imports

View maldives's maldives mv: international tourism: expenditures: % of total imports from 1995 to 2016 in the chart:.

Maldives MV: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Passenger Transport Items

View maldives's maldives mv: international tourism: expenditures: for passenger transport items from 1995 to 2016 in the chart:.

Maldives MV: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items

View maldives's maldives mv: international tourism: expenditures: for travel items from 1995 to 2016 in the chart:.

Maldives MV: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals

View maldives's maldives mv: international tourism: number of arrivals from 1995 to 2016 in the chart:.

Maldives MV: International Tourism: Number of Departures

View maldives's maldives mv: international tourism: number of departures from 1995 to 2008 in the chart:.

Maldives MV: International Tourism: Receipts

View maldives's maldives mv: international tourism: receipts from 1995 to 2016 in the chart:.

Maldives MV: International Tourism: Receipts: % of Total Exports

View maldives's maldives mv: international tourism: receipts: % of total exports from 1995 to 2016 in the chart:.

Maldives MV: International Tourism: Receipts: for Passenger Transport Items

View maldives's maldives mv: international tourism: receipts: for passenger transport items from 2011 to 2016 in the chart:.

Maldives MV: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items

View maldives's maldives mv: international tourism: receipts: for travel items from 1995 to 2016 in the chart:.

Explore our Data

Featured News January 5, 2023

An Overview of the Maldives Tourism Industry in 2022

As 2022 concluded, Maldives welcomed over 1.6 million tourists for the year, surpassing its tourist arrival targets despite the challenges faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitical conflicts. 

The Maldives recorded its 1 millionth tourist arrival on 12th August 2022 and 1.6 millionth tourist arrival on 20th December 2022 reaching the yearly target. Tourist arrivals in 2022 indicate a rebound of Maldives tourism to the pre-pandemic level. 

In October 2022, Maldives also marked the highest number of tourist arrivals in a given month in the history of Maldivian tourism, a figure that had not been achieved even in the record-breaking year of 2019.

The tourist arrivals were recorded at 1,675,294 on 31st December 2022, and it is a 26.7% increase from the arrivals recorded in 2021. Tourist arrivals in 2022 however, show a slight decrease of 1.6% in comparison to the arrivals recorded during the same period in 2019. 

Daily arrivals during the year remained over 5,016 tourists with an average stay of 8 nights.

India remained the top market for Maldives tourism in 2022 dominating over 14% with 240,000 arrivals. Russia followed closely at second contributing 12.1% with more than 198,000 tourists. Third, comes the U.K, contributing 10.7% with over 177,000 arrivals. Other top markets include Germany, Italy, the U.S.A, France, Spain, South Korea and Switzerland respectively.

According to the latest annual statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism, a total of 1,208 tourist accommodation facilities were in operation till 31st December 2022 including resorts, marinas, guesthouses, safari vessels and hotels. The total operating capacity was recorded as 59, 657 beds. 

Maldives once again secured the title of the World’s Leading Destination (among several other accolades) at the 2022 World Travel Awards, globally recognised as the hallmark of industry excellence. This is the third consecutive year that the Maldives had successfully earned this prestigious title, a shining testimony of the trust placed in the ‘magic of Maldivian hospitality’ by travellers from all over the globe.

As per the growth in arrivals in 2022, Maldives is expected to welcome 2 million tourists this year. Tourism Minister Dr Abdulla Mausoom stated that the goal is to have over 2 million tourist arrivals and 14.5 million bed nights for the year 2023.

Latest Travel News

News May 1, 2024

News April 30, 2024

Maldives votes in parliamentary elections amid India-China rivalry

Vote is being keenly watched by India and China as they vie for influence in the island nation.

Polls have closed in the Maldives, where voters have cast their ballots in a parliamentary election crucial for President Mohamed Muizzu, who has taken a pro-China stand and turned the archipelago nation away from longtime ally India since coming to power last September.

The vote on Sunday is being keenly watched by India and China as they vie for influence in the island country, which is known for its pristine beaches and luxury resorts and is strategically located in the Indian Ocean, through which global east-west shipping lanes pass.

Keep reading

China, maldives upgrade ties with infrastructure deals in pivot from india, caught in india-maldives spat, lakshadweep islands want jobs, then tourists, ‘music to beijing’s ears’: has china won the maldives presidency, new maldives president promises to expel foreign military personnel.

About 284,000 people were eligible to vote in Sunday’s polls, and tentative results are expected later on the same day.

Six political parties and independent groups are fielding 368 candidates for 93 seats in the People’s Majilis, or parliament. Splits in all the main political groupings, including Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC)-led ruling coalition and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), are expected to make it hard for any single party to win an outright majority.

Ali Nasser Mohamed, Maldives ambassador to the United Nations, told Al Jazeera that the government is confident of securing at least 90 percent of the seats in the parliament.

“The election is being held at an important point and is an important juncture for the president … This election is less about geopolitical rivalry in the Indian Ocean … and is more about the future of Maldives and the people. It is about creative stability, prosperity and resilience in the Maldives,” he said.

Muizzu won last year’s presidential polls on promises to cut off Indian influence with his “India out” campaign. He was widely seen as a proxy candidate for former President Abdulla Yameen, who held power between 2013 and 2018 and whose 11-year jail term on bribery charges was overturned by a court last week.

The two men have fallen out since Muizzu took office, and Yameen has set up a rival party, the People’s National Front (PNF), ahead of Sunday’s polls.

“This is perhaps the most difficult election to predict given the high degree of factionalisation, including in the ruling coalition,” said Azim Zahir, a lecturer and research fellow in international relations and politics at the University of Western Australia in Perth.

The opposition MDP, which swept the last parliamentary election in 2019, was “very cohesive and hence got super majority,” Zahir noted. “Still, I think the ruling coalition and the MDP will get most seats,” he said.

On the eve of the election, Muizzu – who has accused his immediate predecessor Mohammed Ibrahim Solih of compromising national sovereignty by giving India too much influence – appealed to voters to grant his coalition a majority in parliament to protect the country’s independence.

“All those who love our nation must make sure the decision they make tomorrow is one to secure our nation’s future,” he said. “The ballot you cast tomorrow must be for national sovereignty and for the protection of our nation.”

The incumbent leader highlighted his government’s efforts to deport some 75 Indian military personnel who are stationed in the Maldives, saying his party needed a majority in parliament to see its campaign promise through.

The known activities of the Indian military personnel were operating two aircraft donated by India and assisting in the rescue of people stranded or faced with calamities at sea. Muizzu wants to have civilians take over those activities.

The opposition, meanwhile, has portrayed Sunday’s election as a choice between autocracy and democracy.

Solih, the former president, appealed to voters at the MDP’s final campaign rally on Saturday to vote for the opposition to hold the government accountable.

“Tomorrow’s vote is about safeguarding the democracy that we have all fought so hard to establish here,” he told supporters ahead of the elections.

The current parliament, dominated by Solih’s MDP, has sought to stymie Muizzu’s efforts to realign the archipelago’s foreign policy.

Relations between India and the Maldives have also deteriorated after Indian social media activists started a boycott campaign of Maldives tourism in January.

The move was in retaliation for three Maldivian deputy ministers making derogatory statements about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising the idea of promoting tourism in Lakshadweep, India’s string of islands similar to the Maldives.

According to recent Maldives government statistics, the number of Indian tourists has fallen, dropping that country from being the top source of foreign visitors to the sixth.

Muizzu visited China earlier this year and negotiated an increase in the number of tourists and inbound flights from China. His government has also awarded high-profile infrastructure contracts to Chinese state-owned companies.

In 2013, Maldives joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative meant to build ports and highways to expand trade – and China’s influence – across Asia, Africa and Europe.

The Maldives consists of about 1,200 coral islands and atolls and has a population of about 520,000.

Resident Population, Census 2022

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International Women's Day 2024 is a day to celebrate the achievements of women and to renew our commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment. #IWD2024 #inspireinclusion @MHLUDmv pic.twitter.com/zefJ1DhQnG — Statistics Maldives (@statsmaldives) March 8, 2024

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Voting begins for Maldives Parliament, watched by India and China vying for control of Indian Ocean

A woman casts her vote at a polling station in Male, India, Sunday, April 21, 2024. Maldivians are voting in parliamentary elections, in a ballot crucial for President Mohamed Muizzu, whose policies are keenly watched by India and China as they vie for influence in the archipelago nation. (AP Photo/Mohamed Sharuhaan)

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MALE, Maldives (AP) — Maldivians voted in parliamentary elections Sunday, in a ballot crucial for President Mohamed Muizzu, whose policies are keenly watched by India and China as they vie for influence in the archipelago nation.

Both countries are seeking a foothold in the Maldives, which has a strategic location in the Indian Ocean.

Muizzu’s election as president last year sharpened the rivalry between India and China, with the new leader taking a pro-China stand and acting to remove Indian troops stationed on one of the country’s islets.

Securing a majority in Parliament will be tough for Muizzu because some of his allies have fallen out and more parties entered the race.

Six political parties and independent groups are fielding 368 candidates for 93 seats in Parliament. That is six more seats than the previous Parliament following adjustments for population growth.

About 284,000 people were eligible to vote and tentative results were expected to be announced late Sunday.

Muizzu’s election campaign theme for president was “India out,” accusing his predecessor of compromising national sovereignty by giving India too much influence.

At least 75 Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives and their known activities were operating two aircraft donated by India and assisting in the rescue of people stranded or faced with calamities at sea. Muizzu has taken steps to have civilians take over those activities.

Relations strained further when Indian social media activists started a boycott campaign of Maldives tourism. That was in retaliation for three Maldivian deputy ministers making derogatory statements about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising the idea of promoting tourism in Lakshadweep, India’s own string of islands similar to the Maldives.

According to recent Maldives government statistics, the number of Indian tourists has fallen, dropping that country from being the top source of foreign visitors to No. 6.

Muizzu visited China earlier this year and negotiated an increase in the number of tourists and inbound flights from China.

In 2013, Maldives joined China’s “Belt and Road” initiative meant to build ports and highways to expand trade — and China’s influence — across Asia, Africa and Europe.