Nikolai Stratichuk of Russia Begins Maldives Holiday as First Tourist of the Year

The Maldives welcomed its first tourist of the year on January 1st, as Nikolai Stratichuk of Russia arrived at Velana International Airport. The Tourism Ministry and Maldives Marketing and Promotion Company (MMPRC) held a special event to welcome Stratichuk and his family, who arrived at 6:05 am via Etihad Airways.

According to the MMPRC, Stratichuk is visiting the Maldives for the first time and is planning a holiday with his family. The government of the Maldives aims to bring 1.8 million tourists to the country this year, building on the success of the past year, in which 1.6 million tourists visited the Maldives.

Russia is a top source market for Maldivian tourism, and the country has seen an increase in Russian tourists in recent times. However, the Russia-Ukraine war in the past year caused a decline in Russian tourists visiting the Maldives. Despite this, the number of Russian tourists is on the rise again.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of tourism to the Maldives. The country has been working to promote itself as a top destination for travelers.