Mideast air travel disruption hits tourism in Maldives, Sri Lanka, Seychelles

Tourism in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Seychelles has been affected by disruptions to air travel through the Middle East, as fewer Western tourists transit the Gulf to reach the Indian Ocean islands.

The Maldives

Abdulla Yasir, CEO and managing director of Visit Maldives Corporation, said the disruption, which he said began on February 28, had significantly affected tourism in the Maldives. The country had long relied on the Middle East corridor to bring in Western visitors, he said, adding that the first half of the year had been difficult. He said the country was now on a path to recovery.

Arrivals stood at 1.49 million by September, according to a Visit Maldives official. Last year, the country surpassed two million arrivals earlier than ever before. It now expects to cross the two-million mark again this year but has accepted that its original target of 2.5 million will not be achieved. Visit Maldives expects the recovery to be complete by the festive season, meaning a return to normal hotel forecasts rather than the higher growth target set earlier.

Visit Maldives said the Middle East accounted for just under 6 percent of arrivals as of August, an improvement compared with earlier in the year. About 30,000 visitors from Gulf Cooperation Council countries had arrived by August, with Saudi Arabia being the largest Middle Eastern source market. Yasir described the Gulf as a transit hub for travellers from Europe, Africa and the Americas.

New routes

To reduce its reliance on the Middle East corridor, the Maldives has shifted its marketing focus towards China, Russia and India and is seeking more direct flights. Yasir said Australia had entered the country's top 10 source markets since direct flights from Melbourne began in June, with seats on the route booked until December.

Direct services from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore are also part of the strategy, while direct flights from Vietnam are expected to begin in October.

Qatar Airways, which currently operates 12 flights a week to the Maldives, plans to increase the frequency to three flights a day, or 21 a week, from October 25. Visit Maldives also expects more seasonal direct flights from Edelweiss, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways during the peak season, which runs from November to February.

Sri Lanka

Nalin Jayasundera, president of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators, said arrivals fell by about 2 to 3 percent in the first eight months of 2026. He said the decline was concentrated in European markets, where many travellers stop in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha, and that the disruption had made some of them hesitant to use those routes.

The industry expects the European shortfall to gradually correct by next winter, while arrivals from the Asia-Pacific region continue to grow. Sri Lanka received 2.36 million tourists in 2025 and is targeting three million.

Seychelles

According to the Seychelles News Agency, arrivals from January to July stood at 197,983, down 11.4 percent from 223,475 a year earlier. Arrivals fell 37.2 percent year on year in March and 28.4 percent in April.

July saw a slight improvement, with 31,628 visitors, up 1.8 percent. Europe accounted for 64.3 percent of July arrivals, while Asia accounted for 21.8 percent.

Outlook

The Maldives has set a target of three million visitors for 2027 and plans to run a year-long marketing campaign. The country has about 67,000 hotel beds, with several international brands due to open by 2028.

The new terminal at Velana International Airport has been operating for nearly two years, while the authorities have expanded Hanimaadhoo International Airport.

The pace of recovery will depend on how quickly Gulf aviation connectivity is restored and whether travellers and insurers are willing to use those routes.