NEW DELHI, April 9. /TASS/. Russia became the country with the most tourists visiting the Maldives in March, according to the country’s immigration agency.

Last month, 21,900 Russian tourists visited the Maldives. The United Kingdom was in second place with 21,700 visitors, with Germany in third with 18,800 visitors. China ranked fifth after Italy, but it still leads in the number of tourists visiting the Maldives on an annual basis.

In March, 194,000 tourists visited the Maldives, up 20,000 from the same month last year. In the first three months of this year, the island nation welcomed a record 600,000 tourists. As of April 8, the islands have hosted 71,100 Chinese visitors and 65,800 Russian visitors in 2024.

The Maldives' officials plan to surpass the 2 mln tourist mark this year for the first time in history. The country received 1.8 mln visitors last year, with 1.6 mln expected in 2022.