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Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture

Republic of Maldives

MALDIVES VISITOR SURVEY 2011MALDIVES VISITOR SURVEY 2011

REPORTREPORT

MALDIVES VISITOR SURVEY 2011

Ministry of Tourism Arts & Culture

© Ministry of Tourism Arts & Culture 2012

Published by:

Ministry of Tourism Arts & Culture

Malé, Republic of Maldives

www.tourism.gov.mv

Prepared by:

CDE Consulting

Republic of Maldives

www.cde.com.mv

Layout & Design:

Mohamed Shinaz Saeed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS

INTRODUCTION

VISITOR PROFILE, TRENDS AND OPINIONS

GEOGRAPHIC PROFILE

Nationality and Place of Residence

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

Age and Gender

PURPOSE OF VISIT

Purpose

Maldives as a Holiday Destination

SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE

Professions of International Visitors

TRAVEL ORGANIZATION

Airlines Used

Source of Information

Traveling Companion

Frequency of Visit

Length of Advance Booking Period

TABLE OFCONTENTS

v

1

9

9

9

9

13

13

15

15

16

17

17

19

19

20

21

22

24

EXPERIENCES AND ACTIVITIES

Place of Stay

Duration of Stay

Activities Enjoyed by International Visitors

EXPENDITURE

Expenditure within Maldives excluding Tour Package Price

Expenditure on Tour Package

VISITOR SATISFACTION

Services at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport

Quality of Hotel Transfer

Services at the Place of Stay

Perception of Prices

OVERALL PERCEPTION OF THE HOLIDAY

Overall Satisfaction

Comparison with Similar Destinations

Intention to Visit Again

Intention to Recommend the Maldives to Others

METHODOLOGY

STATISTICAL ANNEX 2011

25

26

26

26

29

29

30

31

31

32

32

33

35

35

35

37

37

39

42

MALDIVES VISITOR SURVEY 2011

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture wishes to acknowledge with apprecia-

tion the Management and staff of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport for their

support and generous contribution to this survey. We also acknowledge the

assistance and cooperation provided by the Department of Immigration and

Emigration, Maldives Customs Service, and the Airport Security team during the

data collection process.

The Ministry of Tourism sincerely appreciate with gratitude the generous

contributions made by the following organizations and individuals during the

questionnaire translation process.

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC),

Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies (FHTS),

Embassy of Maldives in Beijing, China,

Mr. Abdullah Nashiz, General Manager of Alimatha Aquatic Resort

Ms. Mariyam Zoona, Administrative Officer, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture

Ms. Sandra Grundmann from the German PR office, in Frankfurt, Germany

Ms. Anja Junker-Eger, Belcanto Communication, Germany

Mr. Xuchang Sun, Project Manager of National Museum

Mr. Ahmed Abdul Majeed, G. Enif, Male’

The tourists themselves are the major stakeholders in this survey. Without their

cooperation and support this study would not have been possible. The Ministry

of Tourism expresses its wholehearted gratitude to the tourists who have

participated in this survey for their valuable time and sincere responses.

The Maldives Visitor Survey 2011 is the result of combined efforts of Ministry of

Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Maldives Monetary Authority. The Ministry of

Tourism, Arts and Culture recognizes and appreciates the hard work done by all

the staff who actively participated in organizing this survey. The Ministry also

thanks CDE Consulting, for their hard work and professionalism in carrying out

the survey and compiling this report.

maldives visitor survey 2011

vi


1

SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS

Visitor arriVals

Europe was the largest source of visitors to the

Maldives (57.7%) by region in 2011 while the second

largest regional group was Asia (35.9%) (Tourism

Statistics 2011). The largest inbound market for tourist

arrivals by country in 2011 was China (15%). With

118,961 arrivals China became the first non-European

market to be the top leading market to the Maldives at

the end of 2010.

Demographics

Majority of international visitors (57%) who responded

to the survey are in the 25 to 44 years age group.

However, in 2011, 42% of the tourist arrivals were in

the age group 25 – 44 years while 44% of the tourist

arrivals were in the 45 – 64 years age group (Tourism

Statistics 2011).

purpose of Visit

The main reason for visitors coming to the Maldives

is holiday (64%). The second most popular reason is

honeymoon (20%) followed by diving (10%).

The number of visitors who came for honeymoon

purposes decreased by eight per cent compared to

the results in 2008.Compared to 2008, visitors coming

to the Maldives for diving and business purposes have

decreased by one percent.

Of the visitors, 80% of Middle Easterners and 77% of

Europeans cited holiday as their primary purpose of

visit to the Maldives (Figure 9). Honeymoon is the main

purpose of visit among Asians (41%) and Africans

(38%).

The main reasons for choosing the Maldives as a

holiday destination are the beach (23%) and diving/

snorkeling (22%). Other reasons include sun (16%),

peacefulness (13%) and uniqueness (13%).

socio-economic profile

Professionals (28%) account for the largest proportion

of international visitors to the Maldives followed by

legislators, senior officials or managers (15%) and

clerks (10%). Compared to the 2008 results there is

a significant drop in the proportion of professionals

(-11%) among the international visitors to the Maldives.

Number of ‘technicians/associate professionals’

decreased by three per cent and proportion of service

workers remained the same at five per cent. The

percentage of visitors who stated ‘clerks’ is one per

cent more in 2011 compared to 2008

The highest gender disparity is among clerks (72%

males to 28% females); armed forces (71% males to

29% females); and service workers (65% males to 33%

females). The percentage of female workers is more

than male workers only in crafts/related trade workers

category (67% females to 31% males).


2

moDe of traVel

The airline that brought in the most number of

passengers in 2011 is Sri-Lankan Airlines (19%)

followed by Emirates (17%) and Singapore Airlines

(8.2%) (Tourism Statistics 2011). Among the

participants of the survey, Emirates (17%), Sri Lankan

Airlines (12%) and Singapore Airlines (11%) are the

most popular airline choices of international visitors to

travel to the Maldives.

trip planning

Of the international visitors travelling to the Maldives,

56% used travel agents and 15% organized individually

while 12% used tour operators and 14% used internet

to organize their trip to the Maldives.

information sources anD internet usage

The most common source of information for

international visitors is word of mouth (28%) followed

closely by internet (24%), travel agents (11%) and

magazines (11%). The main sources of information

about the Maldives have remained the same compared

to the survey in 2008.

traVel party

Of all international visitors to the Maldives, 59% travelled

with a partner; while 18% travelled as a group of family,

12% with friends; and 6% travelled unaccompanied.

In terms of size of travel group, 66% of visitors travelled

in a group of two while 13% travelled in groups of six or

more. Most of the international visitors (90%) travelled

with no children while eight per cent was accompanied

by 1-2 children.

repeat Visitors

Of the international visitors, 73% identified themselves

as first time visitors while 20% cited their visit as

second to fifth visit to the Maldives. Most of the repeat

visitors were from Europe (35%), followed by Middle

East (28%), Oceania (24%) and America (24%). The

percentage of repeat visitors from Asia has increased

from 13% in 2008 to 17% in 2011. Repeat visitors from

America have increased by 16% from eight per cent in

2008 to 24% in 2011.

The 2008 survey showed that 23% of international

visitors to the Maldives were repeat visitors, whereas in

2011, repeat visitors have increased to 27%.

aDVance booking perioD

Most of the international visitors (30%) booked their

holiday to the Maldives one to two months in advance.

Bookings were made three to five months in advance

by 25%, two to four weeks by 18% and six to twelve

months by 14% of visitors.

place of stay

Of the international visitors, 79% stayed in resorts while

11% stayed in hotels and 9% stayed on yacht (safari

vessels). Only one percent stayed in guesthouses.

A significant change can be found in the percentage

of visitors staying on yacht (safari vessels) which has

increased from two percent to nine percent since 2008.


3

meal plan

Of the international visitors, 33% chose all-inclusive

while 28% opted for full-board, 15% chose half board

and 14% chose bed and breakfast. The room-only plan

was chosen by three per cent of those surveyed.

length of stay

Majority of international visitors (60%) spent four to

seven days in the Maldives during their visit. The

average number of nights spent by international

visitors is seven nights. Compared to the 2008 results,

the percentage of guests staying eight nights and over

has decreased from 49% in 2008 to 40% in 2011.

actiVities

Snorkeling was the most popular activity with 41% of

visitors enjoying the activity. Of all the international

visitors, 17% enjoyed diving, 17% spa treatments

and 11% water sports. Snorkelling is enjoyed most

by Africans (42%), Europeans (40%) and Asians

(37%) while diving is the most popular activity among

Americans (22%) and Europeans (19%).

Snorkeling is more popular among females (41%) than

males (38%) and more males (18%) enjoy diving than

females (15%).

Only 38% of the tourists visited Male’, the capital city,

while the other 62% visited inhabited and uninhabited

or picnic islands.

expenDitures

Of the visitors, 57% spent below USD 1,000 per trip

during their stay while 12% of visitors spent over USD

5,000 during their trip (Figure 32). When compared

to 2008 survey results, the percentage of visitors who

spent less than USD 1000 per trip has increased by

nine per cent, while the percentage of visitors who

spend more than USD 5000 per trip has increased by

two percent.

Around 40% of the expenditure was spent on food and

beverages at the place of stay while 25% was spent on

local transport by air at the place of stay. About 95%

of the total expenditure was spent at the place of stay.

Among the visitors, 57% traveled on a packaged tour.

Of those who traveled on a packaged tour, 34% spent

less than USD 3,000 for the tour package, 27% spent

more than USD 7,000 for the package and 15% spent

between USD 3,001 and USD 4,000.

Quality of airport serVices

Overall, visitor satisfaction of the services provided at

the airport during the survey period in 2010 indicated

an improvement in services compared to the 2008

results. All services at the airport except for services

at cafés/restaurants and shopping are rated at 70% or

above.

Immigration services is rated the highest, although

‘excellent’ rating for these services has slightly

decreased by two to three per cent compared to the

2008 results.Overall, zero to one per cent of the visitors

rated ‘very poor’ to all the services provided at the

airport.


4

Quality of hotel transfer

The combination of ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ ratings for

the transportation services remained higher than 70%.

International visitors were mostly happy with service

quality of hotel transfers, which was rated at 80% and

above with 45% of it being rated as ‘excellent’. Waiting

time for hotel transfer is rated ‘excellent’ by 39%

and ‘good’ by 32%.Comfort of hotel transfer is rated

‘excellent’ by 40%, ‘good’ by 35%.

Quality of place of stay

On average, 53% of international visitors rated their

place of stay as ‘excellent’ in all seven categories

of accommodation, food, beverages, cleanliness,

friendliness of staff, recreational facilities and physical

set up of hotel. About 30% rated quality of hotel as

‘good’ and eight per cent rated as ‘satisfactory’. On the

other hand, less than two per cent were not satisfied

with the service/facilities at their place of stay.

Overall, all services at their place of stay except

for recreational facilities is rated 80% and above.

Recreational facilities is rated as ‘excellent’ by 46%

of international visitors, Friendliness of staff is rated

‘excellent’ by 65% of visitors and accommodation is

rated ‘excellent’ by 58%. Food and beverages is rated

as ‘excellent’ by 50%and 45% visitors respectively.

Generally, all services at the place of stay are rated as

‘excellent’, an improvement of at least 10% compared

with the 2008 ratings, while ratings as ‘good’ remained

the same.

price perceptions

Of the international visitors to the Maldives 40%

consider accommodation prices as ‘value for

money’ while 24% and 22% perceive the prices to be

‘expensive’ and ‘very expensive’ respectively. Of the

visitors, 39% consider food prices as ‘value for money’

while 22% and 19% perceive them to be ‘expensive

‘and very expensive respectively. The prices charged

for drinking water in the resorts of the Maldives are

considered ‘expensive’ by 22% and 19% of the visitors

consider it as ‘very expensive’. Alcoholic beverages

and soft drinks are considered ‘expensive’ by 22% of

the international visitors while 20% of the visitors feel

that it is ‘very expensive’.

Souvenir items are considered ‘expensive’ by 21%

of visitors. In case of transportation, 38% of visitors

perceive air transport prices to be ‘value for money’

while 13% and 15% consider them to be ‘expensive’ and

‘very expensive’ correspondingly. Sea transportation

prices are seen as ‘value for money’ by 40% of the

visitors and 44% of them thought prices as generally

expensive.

With respect to recreational activities; sports activities

are perceived as ‘value for money’ by 36%, diving by

33% and excursions by 31%. On the other hand, sports

activities are perceived as ‘very expensive’ by 14%,

diving by 15% and excursions by 15% of the visitors.

meeting expectations

An overwhelming majority of international visitors

(88%) stated that the holiday met their expectations.

The reasons given by the three per cent of international


5

visitors whose holiday did not meet their expectations

were that it was too expensive; environmental issues

and long hours of waiting time for hotel transfer.

Among the international visitors who had visited

similar destinations to the Maldives, the top five most

popular countries are Seychelles, Mauritius, Thailand,

Indonesia and Fiji.

From the 33% international visitors who have visited

similar destination, most (64%) rated the natural

environment of Maldives better than other similar

destinations. Recreational activities and value for

money are considered the same in other destinations

by most respondents. Value for money of the holiday is

considered the weakest aspect (18%) of the Maldives

in comparison to other similar destinations.

intention to reVisit or recommenD

Of the international visitors, 86% of international visitors

to the Maldives have the intention to visit the Maldives

again, while 90% of the visitors would recommend the

Maldives to others as a holiday destination.


6


7

INTRODUCTION

This is the fourth report in the series Tourist Profile and

Opinion Survey of the Maldives conducted by Ministry

of Tourism, Arts and Culture. In order to enhance the

coverage of the survey, the name has been changed

to Maldives Visitor Survey. This survey is undertaken

as part of the efforts to improve the quality of tourism

services in the Maldives. These reports are published

with the aim of providing a useful resource for industry

managers as well as policy makers.

Previous reports of the series were published in 1999,

2004 and 2008.

The project of conducting the Maldives Visitor Survey,

processing the data and compilation of the report

was out sourced to Commerce, Development and

Environment Pvt Ltd (CDE Pvt Ltd) through a public

tender process. Hence, this report is compiled and

prepared by CDE Pvt Ltd based on the data collected

and with the guidance of Ministry of Tourism, Arts and

Culture and Maldives Monetary Authority.

2.1 goals anD objectiVe

The primary goal of the Maldives Visitor Survey 2011is

to contribute to the efforts to enhance the tourism

industry in the Maldives by providing those in industry

and government with a resource which details the

characteristics, preferences and expectations of

tourists who visit the Maldives. This report will also

seek to identify deviations from the last Tourist Opinion

and Profile Survey report published in 2008 wherever

possible. The key areas studied in this report are:

nn Demographic, economic, social, and geographic

profile of tourists who visit the Maldives;

nn Opinions of tourists about their place of stay in the

Maldives; services and facilities; modes of travel to

the Maldives;

nn Sources of information about the Maldives as a

tourist destination;

nn Patterns of visit; perceptions of value for money;

holiday preferences and interests.

nn Tourist expenditure in the Maldives.


8


9

VISITOR PROFILE, TRENDS AND OPINIONS

3.1 geographic profile

3.1.1 Nationality and Place of Residence

Europe was the largest source of visitors to the Maldives

(57.7%) by region in 2011 while the second largest

regional group was Asia (35.9%) (Tourism Statistics

2011).”Replace with “Europe was the largest source of

visitors to the Maldives (57.7%) by region in 2011 while

the second largest regional group was Asia (35.9%)

(Tourism Statistics 2011).The largest inbound market

for tourist arrival in 2011 was China (15%), followed

by Britain (14.4%), Italy (11.3%), Germany (9.7%) and

France (6.9%) (Tourism Statistics 2011). With 118,961


10

arrivals China became the first non-European market

to be the top leading market to the Maldives at the end

of 2010. Britain was the number one market from 2007

till 2009.

In April 2011, when the Maldives Visitor Survey was

conducted, 67.3% of arrivals were from Europe and

27.7% of arrivals were from Asia and the Pacific (Tourism

Statistics 2011). Britain was the largest inbound market

with 14% of the arrivals in the month of April 2011.

China (12.7%) was the second largest inbound market

of international visitors followed by Germany (11.7%),

Italy (10.5%) and France (8.2%).

Majority of the participants of Maldives Visitor Survey in

2011 were from Europe (55%) followed by Asia (21%)

(Figure 1).

America 2%Oceania 2%

Middle East 3%

Not Stated 17%

Asia 21%

Europe 55%

Figure 1: Participants by region of Maldives Visitor Survey 2011


11

The largest number of participants were from France

(14%) followed by Italy (13%), Germany (10%) and

Britain (9%) (Figure 2). Out of the Asian nationalities,

most visitors were from China (9%) and Japan (4%).

Figure 2: Participants by nationality of Maldives Visitor Survey 2011

0 3 6 9 12 15

French

Italian

German

Chinese

British

Other Europeans

Other Asians

Japanese

American

Australian

Austrian

Other Nationals

Swiss

Indian

Percentage


12

From the 15% British nationals residing in a country

other than their country of nationality, 37% reside in

UAE, 20% in Hong Kong and four per cent in Qatar.

From the 20% Chinese nationals residing in a country

other than their country of nationality, 90% stayed in

Hong Kong, four per cent in Taiwan and two per cent

in America.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

JapaneseItalianGermanFrenchChineseBritish

Residing in the country of Nationality

Nationality

Per

cent

age

Residing inother countries

Not stated

85

15

0 1 23

2

2

74

20

6 5

94

5

96 93 76

20

Figure 3: Place of residence of top six nationalities

Majority of visitors that participated in the survey

resided in their country of nationality. Of international

visitors to the Maldives, 20% of Chinese nationals and

15% of British nationals stated they resided in a country

other than country of nationality (Figure 3).


13

Figure 5: International visitor arrivals by region and age group

25 - 34 years

35 - 44 years

45 - 54 years

Not Stated 8%

18 - 24 years

55 years +

Below 18 years 1%

Percent

23%

34%

17%

12%

5%

25 - 34 years

Region

Per

cent

age

18 - 24 years

Below 18 years

55 years and over

45 - 55 years

35 - 44 years

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120

Not StatedOceaniaMiddle EastEuropeAsiaAmericaAfrica

13 10 7 7

40

25

19

9

56

24

8

8

2 1 3 1

1

2

3 433

11

5

26 45

37

10

26

25

19

4

25

25

17

22

38

13

31

6

Figure 4: International visitor arrivals by age group

3.2 Demographic profile

3.2.1 Age and Gender

Majority of international visitors (57%) who responded

to the survey are in the 25 to 44 years age group (Figure

4). However, in 2011, 42% of the tourist arrivals were in

the age group 25 – 44 years while 44% of the tourist

arrivals were in the 45 – 64 years age group (Tourism

Statistics 2011).

In the 25 – 44 years age group, most visitors were from

Asia and Middle East. Of the 25 – 34 years age group,

56% were from Asia while in 35 – 44 years age group,

37% were from Middle East (Figure 5). The highest

numbers of visitors in the 18 to 24 years age group

were from Africa (13%) and America (10%). Europe

had 50% of visitors in the 25 – 44 years age group.


14

Figure 7: International visitors to Maldives by region and gender

Male

Reg

ions

Female

Not Stated

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Oceania

Middle East

Europe

Asia

America

Africa 50 44

43 57

50 49 1

47 52 1

45 53 2

44 55 1

6

Figure 6: International visitors by gender

Male

Female

Not Stated

47.4%

44.1%

12%

8.5%

While in 2008 the greatest gender disparity in arrivals

was found in Middle East, in 2011 America has

the greatest gender disparity with 57% of arrivals

being male and 43% females (Figure 7). Among the

participants, there were equal number of male and

female arrivals from Asia.

The number of male tourists (47%) who responded to

the survey is slightly greater than females (44%) (Figure

6). Out of the 644,425 tourist arrivals in 2011, 49.4%

were male and 50.6% were female visitors (Tourism

Statistics 2011).


15

Figure 9: Purpose of visit to the Maldives by continent

3.3 purpose of Visit

3.3.1 Purpose

The main reason for visitors coming to the Maldives

is holiday (64%). The second most popular reason is

honeymoon (20%) followed by diving (10%) (Figure 8).

HolidayHoneymoon

Diving

Other 2%Business 2%

Incentive visit 1%

Wedding 1%

64%20%

10%

Figure 8: Purpose of visit to the Maldives

The number of visitors who stated honeymoon as the

purpose of their visit has decreased by eight per cent

in 2011 compared to the results in 2008. International

visitors who came to the Maldives for diving went down

by one per cent compared to 2008. Similarly, there

is a one per cent decrease in visitors who came for

business purposes.

Of the visitors, 80% of Middle Easterners and 77% of

Europeans cited holiday as their primary purpose of

visit to the Maldives (Figure 9). Honeymoon is the main

purpose of visit among Asians (41%) and Africans (38%).

Of the European visitors, 83% Italians, 81% Germans,

80% British, 76% Swiss and 72% French cited holiday

as their main purpose of visit (Figure 10). Swiss (21%),

French (15%) and Americans (15%) mentioned diving

as the main purpose of visit to the Maldives.

Reg

ions

Honeymoon

Holiday

Wedding

Incentive Visit

Business

Diving

Others

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

DivingIncentive VisitBusinessWeddingHoneymoonHoliday

Oceania

Middle East

Europe

Asia

America

Africa 56

40

42

77

80

47 33 5 14

11 2 4 2

8 11 2

41 4 63 3

21 6 27 6

38 6


16

3.3.2 Maldives as a Holiday Destination

Figure 11: Motivators for choosing the Maldives

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Beach

Diving/Snorkeling

Sun

Peacefulness

Uniqueness

Reputation

Activities

Others 2

2

11

13

13

16

22

23

Nat

iona

lity

Honeymoon

Holiday

Wedding

Incentive Visit

Business

Diving

Others

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

DivingIncentive VisitBusinessWeddingHoneymoonHoliday

Swiss

Other Europeans

Other Asians

Japanese

Italian

Indian

German

French

Chinese

British

Australian

American 58 18

54 30

41 48

71 11

81 6

41 15

83

37

41

75

76 4 20

9 2 212

33 8 9 9

50 9 2

3 11

28 3 3 10

11

15

62

80 10 6 2

2

14

4 15 5

Figure 10: Purpose of visit to the Maldives by nationality

Of the Asian visitors, 50% Japanese and 48% Chinese

stated honeymooning as their main purpose of visit.

Business as a purpose of visiting Maldives is chosen

mostly by Indians (28%).

The main reason for choosing the

Maldives is the beach (23%) (Figure

11). Diving and snorkeling (22%) is

the second most popular motive for

selecting the Maldives followed by

sun (16%), peacefulness (13%) and

uniqueness (13%).


17

3.4 socio-economic profile

3.4.1 Professions of International Visitors

Professionals (28%) account for the largest proportion

of international visitors to the Maldives (Figure 12).

Legislators, senior officials or managers (15%) is the

second largest category of occupation followed by

clerks (10%) and technician/associate professionals

(8%). In the survey, 29% of the visitors did not state

their occupation.

Figure 12: International visitors to the Maldives by occupational categories

Not Stated

Professionals

Legislator/ Senior Official/ Manager

Clerks

Technician/associate professionals

Service worker/shop and market sales workers

Craft/related trade workers

Armed forces

Plant & machine operators and assemblers

Elementary Occupations

29%

28%

15%

10%

8%

5%

5%1% 1%

1%

Compared to the 2008 results there is a significant

drop in the proportion of professionals (-11%) among

the international visitors to the Maldives. Number

of ‘technicians/associate professionals’ decreased

by three per cent and proportion of service workers

remained the same at five per cent. The percentage of

visitors who stated ‘clerks’ is one per cent more in 2011

compared to 2008.

The highest gender disparity is among clerks (72%

males to 28% females); armed forces (71% males to

29% females); and service workers (65% males to 33%

females) (Figure 13). The percentage of female workers

is more than male workers only in crafts/related trade

workers category (67% females to 31% males).


18

Figure 13: Occupation of international visitors by gender

28

29

33

33

34

36

46

4950

6731

3142

72

71

65

65

64

61

60

53

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Male Female

Not Stated

Craft/related trade workers

Elementary Occupations

Technician

Professionals

Plant & machine operatorsand assemblers

Legislator/ Senior Official/Manager

Skilled agricultural &fishery workers

Service worker

Armed forces

Clerks


19

3.5 traVel organiZation

3.5.1 Airlines Used

The airline that brought in the most number of

passengers in 2010 is Sri-Lankan Airlines (19%)

followed by Emirates (17%) and Singapore Airlines

(8.2%) (Tourism Statistics 2011). Among the

participants of the survey, Emirates (17%), Sri Lankan

Airlines (12%) and Singapore Airlines (11%) are the

most popular airline choices of international visitors to

travel to the Maldives (Figure 14). Therefore, Maldives

Visitor Survey 2011 results may only be representative

of the flight arrivals during the period the survey was

conducted which was in April 2011.

Figure 14: Airlines used by international visitors to travel to the Maldives

Emirates

Sri Lankan Airlines

Others

Not Stated

Singapore Airlines

Qatar Airways

Malaysia Airlines

XL Airlines

Meridiana Fly

Air Berlin

Condor

Neos

17%

12%

12%

12%

11%

10%

5%

5%

5%

4%4% 3%


20

Figure 15: Mode of trip organization used by international visitors

Others 2% Not Stated 1%

Travel agency56%

Organizedindividually

15%

Via Internet14%

Tour operator12%

3.5.2 Source of Information

The most common source of information about the

Maldives for international visitors is word of mouth

(28%) followed closely by internet (24%) (Figure 16).

Travel agents and magazines are indicated by 11%.

Word of mouth, internet, travel agents and magazines

has remained the same compared to the survey in 2008.

Figure 16: Source of pre-arrival information about the Maldives

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Word of mouth

Internet

Travel Agent

Magazines

TV

Tour Operator

Guidebook

Outdoor advertising

Newspaper

Exhibitions

Radio 0.5

1

2

3

5

7

8

11

11

24

28

Majority of the international visitors (56%) used travel

agents to organize their trip to the Maldives. A total of

15% organized individually, 14% used internet and 12%

used tour operators to organize their trip (Figure 15).


21

3.5.3 Traveling Companion

Of all international visitors to the Maldives, majority

(59%) travelled with a partner. Visitors that travelled as

a family is the second largest category at 18%, closely

followed by visitors that travelled with friends (13%)

(Figure 17).

Figure 17: Type of travel companion

Not Stated 1%Business associates 2%

Special Interest Group 2%

SingleTraveler

6%

Friends13%

Family18%

Partner59%

In terms of size of travel group, 66% of visitors travelled

in a group of two while 13% travelled in groups of six

or more. Only five per cent visited as a single traveller.

Most of the international visitors (90%) travelled with no

children while eight per cent was accompanied by 1-2

children (Figure 18).

Figure 18: Size of the travel group

Not Stated 5%

Alone5%

3 - 5 people12%

More than6 people

14%

2 people66%

Number of Adult Companions

More than 6 children 1%3 - 5 children 1%

1 - 2 children

8%

No children90%

Number of Children Companions


22

3.5.4 Frequency of Visit

Of the international visitors, 73% identified themselves

as a first time visitor while 20% cited their visit as

second to fifth visit to the Maldives (Figure 19).The

2008 survey showed that 23% of international visitors

to the Maldives were repeat visitors, whereas in 2011,

repeat visitors have increased to 27%.

Figure 19: Number of visits to the Maldives by international visitors

First time73%

2-5 times20%

6-10 times 4%more than 10 times 3%

Out of 3,680 respondents 889 were repeat visitors in

2011. Majority of the repeat visitors are from Europe

(35%), followed by Middle East (28%) and, Oceania

(24%)and America (24%)(Figure 20). The percentage

of repeat visitors from Asia has increased since 2008

from 13% to 17%. Repeat visitors from America have

increased by 16% from 8% in 2008 to 24% in 2011.


23

Figure 20: First time visitors and repeat visitors by Region

Repeat Visitors

Region

First Time

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Repeat Visitors First Time

OceaniaMiddle EastEuropleAsiaAmericaAfrica

1317

83

28

72

24

76

35

65

24

76

Of the European visitors to the Maldives, 54% of Swiss,

45% of German, 42% of Italian, 39% of British and 21%

of French are repeat visitors (Figure 21). Of the Asian

visitors, 38% of Indians, 20% of Japanese and 3% of

Chinese are repeat visitors.

Figure 21: First time visitors and repeat visitors by nationality

Nationality

Repeat Visitors Repeat Visitors

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Swiss

Other

Nati

onals

Other

Eru

opea

ns

Other

Asia

ns

Japan

ese

Italia

n

Indian

Germ

an

Fren

ch

Chines

e

British

Austra

lians

Amer

icans

25

75

23

77

21

79

20

80

26

74

24

76

54

46

28

72

45

55

38

62

42

58

39

61

3

97


24

3.5.5 Length of Advance Booking Period

Most of the international visitors (30%) booked their

holiday to the Maldives one to two months in advance

(Figure 22). Bookings were made three to five months

in advance by 25% and six to 12 months in advance by

14% of visitors. Holiday was booked two to four weeks

in advance by18% of the international visitors.

Figure 22: Duration of advance booking of holiday by visitors

1-2 months

3-5 months

2-4 weeks

6-12 months

1 week

Less than a week

Over 1 year

Others

1-2 months30%

3-5 months25%

2-4 weeks14%

6-12 months14%

1 week 5%

Less than a week 4%

Over 1 year 2% Others 2%


25

3.6 experiences anD actiVities

3.6.1 Place of Stay

The Maldivian Visitor Survey 2011identified the type of

accommodation preferred by the tourists when visiting

the Maldives (Figure 23). The most popular type of

accommodation is resort with 79% of visitors staying

at a resort for the whole or part of their holiday in the

Maldives. Hotel accommodation (11%) is the second

most chosen type of accommodation closely followed

yacht (safari vessels) at nine per cent. Only one per

cent stayed in guesthouses. A significant change is

seen in the percentage of visitors staying on yacht

(safari vessels) which has increased from two per cent

in 2008 to nine per cent in 2011.

Figure 23: Type of accommodation selected

by international visitors

Five different meal plans are offered to international

visitors to the Maldives. Of the 3680 visitors who

responded to the survey, 33% chose all-inclusive and

28% opted for full-board (Figure 24). Half-board was

chosen by 15% bed and breakfast by 14% of visitors.

The room-only plan was chosen by three per cent of

those surveyed.

Figure 24: Types of meal-plan chosen

by international visitors

Other 1%

Resort79%

Hotel11%

Yacht9%

Guest House 1% All inclusive33%

Full board (three meals included)

28%

Half board(breakfast & one meal included)

15%

Bed & breakfast14%

Notstated

7%

Room only 3%

When compared with 2008 meal preferences the

general trend has remained the same with all-inclusive

and full-board as the two most popular options.


26

3.6.2 Duration of Stay

Four to seven days of stay is the number of days

spent in the Maldives by majority (60%) of international

visitors (Figure 25).Of the visitors, 16% of stayed for

eight to 11 days or more than 12 days. Eight per cent

stayed for less than three days. The average number

of nights spent by international visitors is seven nights.

Compared to the 2008 results, the percentage of

guests staying eight nights and over has decreased

from 49% in 2008 to 40% in 2011.

Figure 25: Number of nights spent in the Maldives

3.6.3 Activities Enjoyed by International

Visitors

4 - 7 nights60%

8 - 11 nights16%

12 - 15 nights12%

0 - 3 nights 8%

> 20 nights 3% 16 - 19 nights 1%

Figure 26: Activities most enjoyed by international visitors

Snorkeling is the most popular activity with 41% of

visitors enjoying the activity during their stay (Figure 26).

Spa treatments (17%) and diving (17%) are the second

most popular activities. Water sports are enjoyed by

11% and local island visits by 10% of visitors.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Sno

rkel

ing

Spa

Div

ing

Wat

er s

port

s

Loca

l Isl

and

Vis

it

Land

bas

ed s

port

s

Snorkelling is enjoyed most by Africans (42%),

Europeans (40%) and Asians (37%)while diving is the

most popular activity among Americans (22%) and

Europeans (19%) (Figure 27). Spa treatments are

mostly enjoyed by visitors from Oceania (21%) and

Middle East (21%).


27

Figure 27: Activities most enjoyed by geographical region

Of the European international visitors to the Maldives,

snorkeling is the most enjoyed activity among all

European nationalities (Figure 28). Snorkeling is most

popular among Italians (51%), Germans (41%), British

Snorkelling

Diving

Spa

Land Based Sports

Water Sports

Local Island Visit

Others

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Oceania

Middle East

Europe

Asia

America

Africa 6

22

15 37 17 14 4 4

19

10

10 30 21 19 5 8 7

33 21 16 4 11 5

40 16 7 4 10 4

9

28 18 12 132 5

42 18 15 15 4

(39%) and French (38%). Diving is most popular

among Swiss (27%), French (21%) and Italians (20%).

Spa treatments are most popular among Swiss (23%)

and British (21%).

Figure 28: Activities most enjoyed by Europeans

Snorkelling

Diving

Spa

Land Based Sports

Water Sports

Local Island Visit

Others

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Other Europeans

Swiss

Italian

German

French

British 13

21

18 41 16 5 5 5

20

27

19 36 16 10 3 13 4

35 23 6 333

51 16 4 2 11 3

10

37 18 8 112 3

39 21 11 4 8 4


28

Of the Asian international visitors, snorkeling is the most

enjoyed activity (Figure 29). Snorkeling is chosen by

44% of Japanese, 38% of Chinese and 29% of Indians.

Figure 29: Activities most enjoyed by Asians

11

Snorkelling

Diving

Spa

Land Based Sports

Water Sports

Local Island Visit

Others

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Other Asians

Japanese

Chinese

Indian 10

13

16 44 24 8 2 3 3

16 35 16 9 3 13 8

37 16 18 5 9 2

28 13 14 6 21 8

A comparison of activities most enjoyed by gender

shows that snorkeling is more popular among females

(41%) than males (38%)(Figure 30). More males (18%)

Figure 30: Activities most enjoyed by

international visitors by gender

enjoy diving than females (15%). Spa treatments

are more popular among females (18%) than males

(16%). Island hopping is equally popular among

both sexes.

Female Male

15

4138

18

1816

911

1010

33

44

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Other

Land sports

Island visit

Water sports

Spa

Diving

Snorkeling

Figure 31: Visit to other places during their stay

Diving is most enjoyed by Japanese (16%) and local

island visit is most popular with Indians (21%).

Picnic/Uninhabited Island

Male’ InhabitedIsland(s)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

24

38 38

Of the international visitors, 38% visited Male’, capital

of Maldives (Figure 31). Most of the visitors went to

inhabited islands (38%) and picnic/uninhabited islands

(24%).


29

3.7 expenDiture

3.7.1 Expenditure within Maldives excluding Tour Package Price

Figure 32: Expenditure per trip by visitors in the

Maldives (excluding tour package)

Not Stated 2%

USD 4001 - USD 5000

3%USD 3001 - USD 4000

4% USD 2001

- USD30007%

> USD 500112%

USD 1001 - USD 2000

15%

< USD 100057%

Of the visitors, 57% spent below USD 1,000 per trip

during their stay while 12% of visitors spent over USD

5,000 during their trip (Figure 32). When compared

to 2008 survey results, the percentage of visitors who

spent less than USD 1000 per trip has increased by

nine per cent, while the percentage of visitors who

spend more than USD 5000 per trip has increased by

two percent.

Around 40% of the expenditure was spent on food and

beverages at the place of stay while 25% was spent

on local transport by air at the place of stay. About

95% of the total expenditure was spent at the place of

stay. Among those specified under other expenditures,

expenses on diving, excursions and purchase of

souvenirs were the most common.

Figure 33: Expenditure per trip by visitors in the

Maldives (excluding tour package)

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Food & Beverages

Local Transport by Air

Local Transport by Sea

Other Expenditure

Food & Beverages

Local Transport by Air

Local Transport by Sea

Other Expenditure

Exp

endi

ture

outs

ide

the

plac

e of

sta

y

Exp

endi

ture

at th

e pl

ace

of s

tay

1

1

1

4

27

3

25

40


30

Assumptions made

nn This particular section includes the results of only

2368 respondents out of the 3680 respondents

surveyed due to the following reasons;

nn Extreme differences were found between the

total amount spent and its corresponding

detailed expenditure breakdown.

nn Data entered incorrectly representing unrealistic

amounts

nn All the amounts have been converted to USD values

using the most recent exchange rates for all foreign

currencies.

3.7.2 Expenditure on Tour Package

Among the visitors, 57% traveled on a packaged tour

(Figure 34). Of those who traveled on a packaged tour,

34% spent less than USD 3,000 for the tour package,

27% spent more than USD 7,000 for the package and

15% spent between USD 3,001 and USD 4,000. A total

of 10% of respondents did not answer the question.

Assumptions made

nn Of the 57% who answered yes to this question only

74% of the data were in usable form for analysis

due to the following reasons;

nn Either the currency or the amount were not

written down

nn Data entered incorrectly representing unrealistic

amounts

USD 6001- USD 7000

6%

USD 5001- USD 6000

9%

USD 4001- USD 5000

9%

USD 3001 - USD 4000

15%

> USD 200027%

< USD 300034%

nn All the amounts have been converted to USD values

using the most recent exchange rates for all foreign

currencies.

Figure 34: Expenditure on tour package to the Maldives


31

3.8 Visitor satisfaction

3.8.1 Services at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport

per cent compared to the 2008 results. Friendliness of

staff includes friendliness of immigration and customs

staff. Friendliness of staff is rated as ‘excellent’ by

31% of visitors while 39% rated as ‘good’. Information

& signage services are rated ‘excellent’ by 26% of

international visitors. Almost 20% of the visitors rated

information and signage services as ‘satisfactory’ while

none of the respondents gave it a rating of ‘very poor’.

Overall, zero to one per cent of the visitors rated

‘very poor’ to all the services provided at the airport.

Shopping is rated as ‘poor’ by six per cent of the

visitors and five per cent of the visitors rated services of

cafés and restaurants as ‘poor’. Three per cent of the

visitors rated friendliness of staff at both customs and

immigrations as ‘poor’.

Overall, visitor satisfaction of the services provided at

the airport during the survey period in 2011 indicated

an improvement in services compared to the 2008

results. At least 70% of respondents rated services at

the airport as ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ except for services

at cafés/restaurants and shopping (Figure 35).

For the services provided by cafés and restaurants at

the airport, 31% did not state a rating while five per cent

stated it as not applicable. This may be because due to

the lack of such services offered at the airport and lack

of its usages by the international visitors.

Immigration services include service at the passport

clearance and customs clearance. Immigration

services is rated the highest, although ‘excellent’ rating

for these services has slightly decreased by two to three

Figure 35: Ratings on services provided at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport

Good

Excellent

Satisfactory

Very Poor

Poor

Not Applicable

Not Stated

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Cafés & Restaurants

Shopping

friendliness of customs staff

Friendliness of immigration staff

Information & Signage

Customs Clearance

Passport clearance 32

31

31

32

30

14

9 27 22 5 5 311

33 26 156 1 5

39 18 311 8

39 17 3 1 8

46 18 21 7

45 14 811

43 14 72 2


32

3.8.2 Quality of Hotel Transfer

The combination of ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ ratings for

the transportation services is higher than 70% (Figure

36). International visitors are most happy with service

quality of hotel transfers, rated at 80% and above

with 45% rated as ‘excellent’. Waiting time for hotel

transfer is rated ‘excellent’ by 39%, ‘good’ by 32% and

‘satisfactory’ by 13%. Comfort of hotel transfer is rated

‘excellent’ by 40%, ‘good’ by 35% and ‘satisfactory’ by

11%. While four per cent rated waiting time for hotel as

‘poor’, less than one per cent rated service quality of

hotel transfer and comfort of hotel transfer as ‘poor’.

Figure 36: Ratings on quality and comfort of transportation services to hotel.

Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor

Very Poor Not Applicable Not Stated

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Comfort of hotel transfer

Service quality of hotel transfer

Waiting Time for hotel transfer 39

45

40 35 11 13 10

35 9 111 8

32 13 4 22 8

3.8.3 Services at the Place of Stay

The quality of place of stay is assessed on both

front-line services and facilities. The quality aspects

assessed are accommodation, food, beverages,

cleanliness, friendliness of staff, recreational facilities

and physical set up of hotel.

On average, 53% of international visitors rated their

place of stay as ‘excellent’ in all seven categories

assessed while 30% rated as ‘good’ and eight per

cent rated as ‘satisfactory’ (Figure 37). On the other

hand, less than two per cent were not satisfied with the

service/facilities at their place of stay.


33

Figure 37: Service ratings for place of stay in the Maldives

Good

Excellent

Satisfactory

Very Poor

Poor

Not Applicable

Not Stated

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Physical setup

Recreational facilities

Friendliness of Staff

Cleanliness

Beverages

Food

Accomodation 40

50

45

54

65

46

50 31 8 911

32 10 2 21 7

22 5 71

29 8 72

35 11 2 7

32 10 1 7

28 6 1 7

Overall, all services at their place of stay except for

recreational facilities is rated ‘good’ and ‘excellent’

by at least 80% of respondents. Recreational facilities

are rated as ‘excellent’ by 46% of international visitors,

while 32% rated it as ‘good’.

Friendliness of staff is rated ‘excellent’ by 65% of

visitors while 22% rated ‘good’. Accommodation is

rated ‘excellent’ by 58% and ‘good’ by 29%.

Food and beverages is rated as ‘excellent’ by 50%and

45% visitors respectively.

Cleanliness of the place of stay is rated as ‘excellent’

by 54% of the visitors and 51% rated the physical

setup of the place of stay as ‘excellent’. Ten per cent

rated recreational facilities and, food and beverages as

‘satisfactory’.

Generally, all services at the place of stay are rated as

‘excellent’, an improvement of at least 10% compared

with the 2008 ratings, while ratings as ‘good’ remain

the same.

3.8.4 Perception of Prices

The survey also gathered visitors’ perception on

the prices charged on accommodation, food and

beverages, transportation, telecommunication,

recreational activities and shopping. Prices charged

for accommodation, food and transportation in the

Maldives is considered reasonable. Of the international

visitors to the Maldives, 40% consider accommodation

prices as ‘value for money’ while 24% and 22% perceive

the prices to be ‘expensive’ and ‘very expensive’

respectively (Figure 38). Of the visitors, 39% consider

food prices as ‘value for money’ while 22% and 19%

perceive prices to be ‘expensive ‘and ‘very expensive’

respectively.


34

Figure 38: Perception of prices charged for the services

Overall, the prices of water, soft drinks and alcoholic

beverages are found to be ‘expensive’ in the Maldives.

The prices charged for drinking water in the resorts of

the Maldives is considered ‘expensive’ by 22% and

19% of the visitors considered it as ‘very expensive’.

Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are considered

‘expensive’ by 22% of the international visitors while

20% of the visitors feel that drinks are ‘very expensive’.

Overall the souvenir items are considered ‘expensive’

by 21% of visitors.

In case of transportation, 38% of visitors perceive air

transport prices to be ‘value for money’ while 13%

and 15% consider them to be ‘expensive’ and ‘very

expensive’ correspondingly. Sea transportation prices

are seen as ‘value for money’ by 40% of the visitors and

44% of them thought prices as generally expensive.

With respect to recreational activities; sports activities

are perceived as ‘value for money’ by 36%, diving by

33% and excursions by 31%. On the other hand, sports

activities are perceived as ‘very expensive’ by 14%,

diving by 15% and excursions by 15% of the visitors.

Spa treatment is perceived as ‘value for money’ by

26% of visitors, while a total of 18% consider it as ‘very

expensive’.

Telephone and internet facilities are seen as ‘value for

money’ by 26% and as ‘very expensive’ by 17%. The

high percentage of ‘not applicable’ and ‘not stated’

ratings for excursions, diving and telecommunication

facilities maybe due to the small number of international

visitors who use such services.

Expensive

Very Expensive

Value for Money

Very Cheap

Cheap

Not Applicable

Not Stated

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Souvenirs/shopping

excursions

Spa treatment

Diving

Sports activities

Telephone and internet

Transportation by air

Transportation by sea

Alcoholic beverages

Soft Drinks

Water

Food

Accomodation 22

19

19

20

20

12

15

17

14

15

18

15

20 21 28 3 9 19

15 30 2 15 23

20 26 2 13 21

14 33 2 14 22

13 36 3 12 22

17 26 4 2 14 20

13 38 2 12 20

12 39 31 12 21

22 30 2 9 17

22 34 3 6 15

22 35 4 51 14

22 39 2 4 14

24 40 11 12


35

3.9 oVerall perception of the holiDay

3.9.1 Overall Satisfaction

An overwhelming majority of international visitors

(88%) stated that the holiday met their expectations.

Only three per cent of visitors felt that the holiday did

not meet their expectations (Figure 39).

Figure 39: Percentage of visitors whose

holiday met their expectation

Not Stated9%

No3%

Yes 88%

The reasons given by the international visitors whose

holiday did not meet their expectations were that it was

too expensive; environmental issues and long hours of

waiting time for hotel transfer.

3.9.2 Comparison with Similar Destinations

From the respondents, 33% of the international

visitors stated that have visited a destination similar

to the Maldives (Figure 40). On the other hand, 54%

of visitors reported that they have not visited other

destinations similar to the Maldives and 13 % did not

state an answer.

Figure 40: Percentage of International Visitors who

visited island destinations similar to Maldives

Not Stated10%

No4%

Yes 86%

Among the international visitors who had visited

similar destinations to the Maldives, the top five most

popular countries are Seychelles, Mauritius, Thailand,

Indonesia and Fiji.


36

Figure 41: Rating of the Maldives compared to similar destinations

Same

Low

High

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Valu

e fo

r M

oney

Rec

reat

iona

l Act

iviti

es

Saf

ety/

Sec

urity

Nat

ural

Env

ironm

ent

Qua

lity

of S

ervi

ces

Qua

lity

of P

rodu

ct

Frie

ndlin

ess

of S

taff

8 7

39

54 53 64 53 43 40

41

18

45

12

43

4

30

6

40

7

40

52

From the 33% international visitors who have visited

similar destination, most (64%) rated the natural

environment of Maldives better than other similar

destinations (Figure 41). Quality of product (54%),

quality of services (53%), safety/security (53%) and

friendliness of staff (53%) are rated better in Maldives

in comparison to similar destinations.

Recreational activities are considered the same in

other destinations by most (45%) respondents.

About 41% consider that value for money of their

experience in Maldives is similar to other destinations

while 40% rated as better. Value for money of the

holiday is considered the weakest aspect (18%) of the

Maldives in comparison to other similar destinations.


37

3.9.3 Intention to Visit Again

Of the international visitors, 88% are very happy with

their holiday experience in the Maldives and 86% of

them expressed their intention to visit again (Figure 42).

Figure 42: Percentage of visitors who intend

to visit Maldives again

Not Stated10%

No4%

Yes 86%

Of the four per cent of visitors who stated that they did

not intend to visit again, the two main reasons given

are: the Maldives being expensive and their desire to

see new places.

3.9.4 Intention to Recommend the Maldives

to Others

Of the international visitors, 90% stated that they

would recommend the Maldives to others as a holiday

destination (Figure 43). Of the remaining 10%, only one

per cent stated as they will not recommend Maldives to

others. Nine per cent did not state an answer.

Figure 43: Percentage of visitors who will recommend the

Maldives to others as a holiday destination

Not Stated9%

No 1%

Yes 90%


38


39

METHODOLOGY

The questionnaire for the Maldives Visitor Survey 2011

was prepared based on the questionnaire for the survey

conducted in 2008. Consultations were untaken with

Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Tourism Promotion Board

and Maldives Monetary Authority in the preparation

and finalization of the questionnaire. The questionnaire

consisted of four sections and 30 questions in total.

A letter was provided by Ministry of Tourism to

accompany the questionnaire explaining the purpose

of the survey. The questionnaire included the chance

to win a holiday to Maldives through a lucky draw as an

incentive to participate and complete the questionnaire.

The questionnaire was prepared in seven different

languages of English, Italian, German, French,

Japanese, Chinese and Russian. In the 2008 survey,

Russian language was not included. Translation and

proofreading of the questionnaire was organized and

conducted by Ministry of Tourism.

Sample size for each language was finalized as 715

questionnaires per language based on Table 1.

Table 1: Derivation of sample size

Language Arrivals 2010% share of

arrivalsof 100 percent

95% with confidence interval of 3

95% with confidence

interval of 3.5

UK 140,180 17.7 24.7 1059.0 780

Italy 89,596 11.3 15.8 1055.0 777

Germany 77,108 9.7 13.5 1053.0 776

China 118,961 15 20.9 1058.0 779

France 54,789 6.9 9.6 1047.0 773

Russia 49,111 6.2 8.6 1044.0 772

Japan 38,791 4.9 6.8 1039.0 768

568,536 71.7 100.0 7355.0 5425

The questionnaires were colour-coded by language

as follows for ease of management and data entry:

English (white), Italian (pink), German (light green),

French (dark blue), Japanese (green), Chinese (blue)

and Russian (yellow). Questionnaires were pre-tested

at the airport by a team of five from CDE and one staff

of Ministry of Tourism on Wed 16 March 2011.

Approval of Department of National Planning was

sought to carry out the survey by Ministry of Tourism.

The survey was carried out by one team leader and

20 enumerators. A one day training was held for the

enumerators prior to the commencement of the survey.

Each questionnaire was given a serial number prior to

the commencement of the survey.


40

The survey was initially conducted for a period of

one week between 31 March and 10 April at Ibrahim

Nasir International Airport. However, by the end of the

survey period the number of questionnaires distributed

was 2889. Therefore, the survey period was extended

by a week to meet the target to distribute 5000

questionnaires. The dates and hours of surveying were

selected based on flights schedule obtained from the

airport.

Questionnaires were distributed after Immigration

clearance and collected at departure gates. A banner

was put up behind the immigration counter informing

of the survey that was underway. The collected

questionnaires were organized by language and serial

number at CDE at the end of each day. Completed

questionnaires were then provided to Ministry of

Tourism for translation except English language on 20

and 21 April 2011.

Altogether 4448 questionnaires were distributed. Of the

3904 completed questionnaires that were collected,

xxxxx were completed. Table 2 shows the number of

questionnaires printed, distributed and completed. Out

of the total number of questionnaires completed, 3680

questionnaires were fit for analysis.

Table 2: Questionnaires printed, distributed and completed in different languages

LanguageNumbers Percentage

Printed Distributed Received Entered Printed Distributed Received Entered

English 1223 1300 1157 1027 20.34% 29.23% 89.00% 28.95%

Italian 788 521 480 478 13.10% 11.71% 92.13% 13.47%

German 785 587 547 535 13.05% 13.20% 93.19% 15.08%

French 726 719 661 654 12.07% 16.16% 91.93% 18.43%

Japanese 750 183 149 158 12.47% 4.11% 81.42% 4.45%

Chinese 800 804 796 661 13.30% 18.08% 99.00% 18.63%

Russian 942 334 114 35 15.66% 7.51% 34.13% 0.99%

6014 4448 3904 3548 100.00% 100.00% 87.77% 100.00%

A database was created using Microsoft Access and

each completed questionnaire was given a serial

number for data entry purposes. A two-hour training

was conducted on data entry for the staff. Data entry

was started in May and completed in October. Three

staff were involved in data entry with only one staff

being able to work through the whole data entry

period. Data analysis was undertaken using Statistical

Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

Tourist arrivals in 2011 were 931,333 of whom 79,947

arrived during the month of April. The survey sample

thus amounted to 0.3% of all arrivals during 2011 and

3.9% of arrivals during the survey month of April. This

represents one in every three hundred tourists that

arrived during the year or one in every 25 of those who

arrived in April (Table 3).


41

Table 3: Comparison of Tourist arrivals in 2011, April 2011 and Surveyed

RegionArrivals (in thousands)

Arrivals April 2011

Surveyed

NumberPercentage

(2011)Percentage (April 2011)

Europe 537,757 53,800 2,083 0.40% 3.90%

Asia & the Pacific 348,887 22,143 832 0.20% 3.80%

America 23,654 2,158 106 0.40% 4.90%

Africa 6,465 773 26 0.40% 3.40%

Middle East 14,570 1,073 49 0.30% 4.60%

Total 931,333 79,947 3,096 0.30% 3.90%


42 STATISTICAL ANNEX 2011


43

Table 1: Visitor arrivals by nationality

Nationality2011 2008

Percentage change

(2011-2008)

Number Percentage Number Percentage

French 528 14 102 13 1

Italian 464 13 94 12 1

German 358 10 94 12 -2

British 341 9 122 16 -7

Chinese 343 9 54 7 2

Austrian 80 2 12 2 0

Other European 236 6 68 9 -3

Swiss 76 2 22 3 -1

Japanese 133 4 50 6 -2

Other Asian 262 7 67 9 -3

Australian 86 2 19 2 0

American 106 3 25 3 0

Other nationals 83 2 16 2 0

Not stated 594 16 31 4 12

Table 2: Visitor arrivals by region and age group 2011

Region

Percent

< 18 years

18 - 24 years

25 - 34 years

35 - 44 years

45 - 54 years

55 - 64 years

> 65 years

Not Stated

Africa 0 13 38 13 31 6 0 0

America 0 10 25 25 17 21 2 0

Asia 2 7 56 24 8 2 1 0

Europe 1 4 26 26 25 15 4 0

Middle East 3 3 45 37 10 1 0 2

Oceania 0 7 40 25 19 7 2 0


44

Table 3: Tourist arrivals by gender and age group 2011

Age groupNumber

Total Female Male Not stated

<18 yrs 37 18 18 1

18-24 yrs 174 118 55 1

25-34 yrs 1258 661 583 14

35-44 yrs 849 384 455 10

45-54 yrs 634 276 348 10

55-64 yrs 345 129 211 5

>65 yrs 101 33 67 1

Not stated 282 4 8 270

Table 4: Tourist arrivals by purpose and nationality 2011

Nationality

Number

Hol

iday

Hon

eym

oon

Wed

ding

Bus

ines

s

Ince

ntiv

e V

isit

Div

ing

Oth

ers

Tota

l

Not Stated 329 216 5 10 12 41 9 622

American 63 19 0 4 0 16 5 107

Australian 44 24 0 1 0 1 11 81

British 274 33 4 3 1 19 8 342

Chinese 157 185 5 4 6 24 2 383

French 384 58 1 3 2 80 9 537

German 293 19 5 0 1 41 4 363

Indian 16 6 0 11 1 1 4 39

Italian 379 12 1 5 6 50 5 458

Japanese 51 66 1 1 12 0 2 133

Other Asians 94 77 1 17 1 21 20 231

Other

Europeans

234 29 1 3 7 38 6 318

Swiss 59 3 0 0 0 16 0 78


45

Table 5: Percentage change in purpose of visit (2011 – 2008)

Purpose of visit

2011 2008 Percentage change

(2011-2008)Number Percentage Number Percentage

Relaxation/

Holiday

2432 64 424 55 9

Honeymoon 770 20 220 28 -8

Diving 353 9 89 11 -2

Wedding 24 1 - - -

Surfing - - 2 0 -

Incentive Visit 50 1 - - -

Business 65 2 21 3 -1

Others 86 2.3 17 2 0.3

Table 6: Motivation to choose Maldives as a travel destination 2011

Number Percent

Beach 1681 23

Sun 1172 16

Diving/Snorkeling 1603 22

Reputation 837 11

Uniqueness 929 13

Activities 139 2

Peacefulness 934 13

Others 122 2


46

Table 7: Number of travel companions 2011

Adult Children

Percent Percent

Alone 5 No Children 90

2 66 1 – 2 8

3 - 5 12 3 – 5 1

6 - 11 5 >6 children 1

11 - 20 5 Total 100

21 -30 2

> 31 2

Not Stated 4

Total 100

Table 8: Type of travel companions 2011

Type of Travel companion Number Percent

Single Traveler 209 6

Partner 2168 59

Family (Parents/Children) 664 18

Friends 460 13

Business associates 56 2

Special Interest Group 87 2

Not Stated 36 1

Table 9: Number of nights stayed during the trip in the Maldives 2011

Number Percent

0 - 3 days 298 8

4 - 7 days 2196 60

8 - 11 days 585 16

12 - 15 days 435 12

16 - 19 days 35 1

> 20 days 131 4


47

Table 10: Number of weeks/months for advance booking of holiday 2011

Number Percent

Less than a week 150 4

1 week 183 5

2-4 weeks 667 18

1-2 months 1084 30

3-5 months 934 25

6-12 months 506 14

Over 1 year 71 2

Others 41 2

Table 11: Occupational categories of visitors visiting Maldives by gender 2011

OccupationNumber

Female Male Not Stated Total

Not Stated 454 335 281 1070

Legislator/ Senior

Official/ Manager

188 360 6 554

Technician 480 543 10 1033

Service worker 96 188 4 288

Craft/related

trade workers

258 119 7 384

Elementary

Occupations

99 100 2 201

Professionals 4 6 0 10

Clerks 15 39 0 54

Skilled agricultural

& fishery workers

12 23 1 36

Plant & machine

operators and

assemblers

12 20 1 33

Armed forces 5 12 0 17


48

Table 12: Airlines used by tourists to visit Maldives (2011 – 2008)

Airline2011 2008

Percentage Change

(2011 – 2008)

Number Percent Number Percent

Emirates 642 17 112 14 3

Sri-Lankan Airlines 441 12 115 15 -3

Singapore Airlines 423 11 128 16 -5

Qatar Airways 352 10 70 9 1

Malaysia Airlines 203 6 16 2 4

XL Airways 195 5 57 7 -2

Meridiana Fly 182 5 - - -

Air Berlin 132 4 12 2 2

Condor 130 4 68 9 -5

Neos 125 3 - - -

Euro Fly 14 0 51 7 -7

Thompson 79 2 33 4 -2

First Choice 7 0 13 2 -2

Others 336 9 95 12 -3

Not Stated 419 12 6 1 11

Total 3680 100 776 100 0

Table 13: Mode of organizing holiday 2011

Modes Number Percent

Organized individually 569 16

Travel agency 2054 56

Tour Operator 456 12

Internet 507 14

Others 56 2

Not Stated 38 1

Total 3680 100


49

Table 14: Source of pre-arrival information (2011 – 2008)

Source of pre-arrival information

2011 2008 Percentage Change

(2011 – 2008)Number Percent Number Percent

Word of mouth 1720 28 - - -

Internet 1433 24 177 23 1

Tour Operator 415 7 57 7 0

Travel Agent 670 11 138 18 -7

Outdoor advertising 165 3 - - -

Television 486 8 58 7 1

Magazines 668 11 97 13 -2

Newspaper 143 2 21 3 -1

Radio 28 0.5 - - -

Guidebook 291 5 - - -

Exhibitions 39 1 - - -

Table 15: Number of visits to the Maldives 2011

Number of visits Number Percent

First time 2685 73

2-5 times 739 20

6-10 times 150 4

more than 10 times 100 3

Not stated 6 0

Table 16: Type of accommodation 2011

Type of accommodation

Number Percent

Resort 2954 79

Hotel 407 11

Guest House 30 1

Yacht 357 10


50

Table 17: Frequency of visits to the Maldives by Nationality 2011

Nationality

Number

First TimeRepeat Visitors

Americans 79 27

Australians 66 20

British 206 133

Chinese 332 11

French 418 108

German 198 160

Indian 23 14

Italian 270 194

Japanese 107 26

Other Asians 166 59

Other Europeans 222 88

Other Nationals 68 21

Swiss 35 41

Table 18: Type of meal-plan used by visitors (2011 – 2008)

Meal-plan2011 2008 Percentage

Change (2010 – 2008)Number Percent Number Percent

Room only 91 3 17 2 1

Bed & breakfast 531 14 103 13 1

Half board (breakfast

& one meal included)

557 15 147 19 -4

Full board (three

meals included)

1035 28 246 32 -4

All inclusive 1193 32 240 31 1

Not stated 273 7 12 3 4


51

Table 19: Activities most enjoyed by nationality 2011

Nationality

Number

Diving Snorkeling SpaWater sports

Land sports

Island visit Other

American 28 36 24 15 3 17 7

Australian 17 60 41 38 8 15 15

Austrian 28 60 26 12 8 21 8

British 92 273 144 72 25 58 31

Italian 135 335 60 26 12 73 17

French 219 386 182 78 20 113 28

German 128 293 112 38 38 73 35

Chinese 103 294 121 135 37 67 13

Japanese 38 88 50 17 4 4 5

Indian 12 28 13 11 3 15 6

Other Europeans 94 170 77 49 13 67 17

Other Asians 70 174 85 56 17 53 40

Other nationals 31 98 61 46 9 34 12

Swiss 49 62 41 8 6 5 4

Not Stated 103 326 115 121 27 59 9

Table 20: Amount of money spent in the Maldives (excluding tour package) – 2011 -2008

Expenditure (USD)2011 2008 Percentage

Change (2011 – 2008)Number Percent Number Percent

< USD 1000 1263 53 373 48 5

USD 1001-USD 2000 303 13 122 16 -3

USD 2001-USD 3000 181 8 77 10 -2

USD 3001-USD 4000 107 5 48 6 -2USD 4001-USD 5000 80 3 34 4 -1

> USD 5001 418 18 76 10 8

Not Stated 16 1 46 6 -5


52

Table 21: Price of tour package bought by the visitors 2011

Price of tour Package Percent Number

< USD 3000 34 524

USD 3001-USD 4000 15 227

USD 4001-USD 5000 9 142

USD 5001-USD 6000 9 141

USD 6001-USD 7000 6 96

> USD 7000 27 423

Table 22: Visitor rating for services at the airport 2011

Rating

Percent

Passport

clearance

Customs

Clearance

Information

& Signage

Friendliness of

immigration staff

Friendliness

of customs

staff

ShoppingCafés &

Restaurants

Excellent 32 31 26 32 30 14 9

Good 43 45 46 39 39 34 27

Satisfactory 14 14 18 17 18 26 22

Poor 2 1 2 3 3 6 5

Very Poor 1 0 0 1 1 1 1

Not

Applicable

0 1 1 0 1 5 5

Not Stated 7 8 7 8 8 15 31

Table 23: Visitor rating for services at the place of stay 2011

Rating

Percent

Accommodation Food Beverages CleanlinessFriendliness

of Staff

Recreational

facilities

Physical

setup

Excellent 58 50 45 54 65 46 51

Good 29 32 35 29 22 32 31

Satisfactory 6 11 11 8 5 10 8

Poor 1 1 2 1 1 2 1

Very Poor 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

Not

Applicable

0 0 0 0 0 1 1

Not Stated 7 7 7 7 7 7 9


53

Table 24: Visitor rating for transportation services 2011

Rating

Percent

Waiting Time for hotel transfer

Service quality of hotel transfer

Comfort of hotel

Excellent 39 45 40

Good 32 35 35

Satisfactory 13 9 11

Poor 4 1 1

Very Poor 2 1 0

Not Applicable 2 1 3

Not Stated 8 8 10

Table 25: Perception of prices of tourism product 2011

Tourism ProductsVery

ExpensiveExpensive

Value for

MoneyCheap

Very

Cheap

Not

Applicable

Not

Stated

Total

Percent

Accommodation 22 24 40 1 0 1 12 100

Food 19 22 39 2 0 4 14 100

Water 19 22 35 4 1 5 14 100

Soft Drinks 20 22 34 2 0 6 16 100

Alcoholic

Beverages

20 22 30 2 0 9 17 100

Transportation

by Sea

12 12 40 2 1 12 21 100

Transportation

by Air

15 12 38 3 0 12 20 100

Telephone and

internet

17 17 26 4 2 14 20 100

Sports Activities 14 13 36 4 0 11 22 100

Diving 15 14 33 3 0 14 22 100

Spa treatment 18 20 26 2 0 13 21 100

Excursions 15 15 31 2 0 15 23 100

Souvenirs/

Shopping

20 21 28 2 0 9 20 100


54

Table 26: Ratings compared to similar destinations 2011

ItemsPercent

Low Same Higher Not Stated

Friendliness of Staff 3 16 20 61

Quality of Products 3 15 21 61

Quality of Services 3 16 21 61

Natural Environment 3 12 25 61

Safety/Security 1 17 21 61

Recreational Activities 5 17 17 61

Value for Money 7 16 16 61

Table 27: Holiday expectations met 2011

Number Percent

Not Stated 347 9

No 95 3

Yes 3238 88

Table 28: Intention to visit Maldives again 2011

Number Percent

Not Stated 364 10

No 157 4

Yes 3159 86

Table 29: Recommend Maldives to others as a travel destination 2011

Number Percent

Not Stated 316 9

No 34 1

Yes 3330 90


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