MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/. Russian tourist traffic to the Maldives sank 8.4% year-on-year to 201,952 visits in 2022, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said on Monday, citing data from the Maldives’ authorities.

"From January to December 2022 inclusive, 201,952 visits by citizens of the Russian Federation were counted in the country. To recap, 220,424 visits by Russians were registered there in 2021, a record-breaking year for Russian tourist traffic to the islands. Accordingly, tourist traffic from Russia to this country in 2022 contracted by 8.4% against the prior year," the association said.

The springtime decline in travel to this destination due to air service dilemmas caused by Western sanctions was the main factor bringing down tourist traffic. High competition with Thailand also influenced the situation.

Nevertheless, Russian tourist traffic to the Maldives in 2022 was more than double that of 2019 and this destination has become categorized as a mass one on the Russian market, ATOR noted.

Experts predict that the Maldives will remain a highly popular destination for Russians in 2023. The choice of foreign destinations for "luxury" holidays this year is highly likely to be as limited this year as in the past, the association said.