Industry
Study of Russian travellers: 72 per cent of those visiting the Maldives are first-timers
A Yandex Ads white paper, produced with MATI and Visit Maldives Corporation, says more existing demand is turning into bookings.
Industry · 2026-11-11 · Drafted with AI assistance and edited by the newsroom
Yandex Ads has published a study of the Russian tourism market, produced with the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) and Visit Maldives Corporation. It says Russia is the Maldives' second-largest inbound market by volume, with 150,000 arrivals in the first half of 2026, up 18 per cent, and that confirmed hotel bookings to the Maldives through Yandex Travel rose 233 per cent while search interest stayed broadly stable.
Of Russian-speaking travellers, 72 per cent are visiting for the first time. The typical traveller is aged 35 to 44, travels as a couple for one to two weeks and has a budget of $4,000 to $6,000. About 90 per cent of holiday searches concern luxury travel, interest in eco-hotels is up 68 per cent, and 64 per cent choose an atoll before choosing a hotel. Bookings are concentrated in Kaafu and Raa, though travellers also show interest in Baa, Lhaviyani and South Ari.