While the Maldives – like most Asian destinations – has seen a sharp drop in tourist arrivals owing to the conflict in the Middle East, a key transit hub for travellers from Europe, the number of private jets bringing high-end visitors has increased significantly.
A total of 128 private jets landed in the Maldives between February 18 and March 14, a 166 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, when 70 aircraft arrived, according to official data.
The figures indicate a shift in travel patterns among high-end travellers seeking direct access to the island destination.
Visit Maldives chairperson Abdullah Ghiyas acknowledged the rise in private jet arrivals but said this segment accounts for less than one per cent of this year’s target of 2.5 million arrivals.
“However, in terms of spending patterns, the revenue is high from this segment of traveller,” he said.
Last year, the Maldives welcomed 2.2 million travellers. While most of the private jets were bringing in Middle Eastern nationals, there were also visitors from Asia and Europe.
To mitigate the impact on arrival numbers, Visit Maldives has called for a unified industry approach to launch joint marketing campaigns.
“These initiatives will specifically target markets such as India, China, Russia, and other Asian regions where travel disruptions have been comparatively less severe, ensuring that demand for the destination remains sustainable,” the state tourism authority said in a statement.
“We are looking at diversifying the market to increase numbers from India, China and Russia, which are unaffected by developments in the Middle East,” Ghiyas said.
Most European traffic travels via Middle East hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.
The country manager for a European DMC said the company had lost 11 million euros owing to cancellations. “Of the 4,000 pax, we have seen 2,000 cancellations,” he said, adding that airlines were allowing full ticket refunds to travellers seeking to cancel bookings, while ticket prices have risen along with travel insurance.
Looking ahead, the industry official, who declined to be named, said that the perception of Dubai and other Middle East hubs as safe destinations has been shaken by the conflict, denting confidence in using these transit points.
“Even if the war ends tomorrow it will take several months to restore confidence in the Middle East,” he added.
