Bangladesh, Oct. 18 -- Tourist arrivals in the Maldives declined 3.9 percent year over year during the first two weeks of October 2026, although visitor numbers remained significantly higher than in the same period two years earlier.

The island nation welcomed 79,529 tourists between October 1 and 14, down from 82,770 during the corresponding period in 2025, according to official figures cited in tourism reports. However, arrivals were still 11.4 percent above the level recorded in 2024.

The Maldives averaged 5,681 tourist arrivals per day during the first half of October, compared with 5,912 a day a year earlier. The daily average nevertheless increased from 4,960 in September, indicating stronger visitor traffic entering the final qua...