Maldives was Sri Lanka’s 16th-largest tourism market in 2025, minister says

The Maldives was Sri Lanka’s 16th-largest source market for tourists in 2025, with more than 37,000 arrivals, Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said.

Addressing the 18th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka–Maldives Business Council in Colombo on Tuesday, Samarasinghe called on the two countries to expand economic cooperation beyond traditional trade.

He said the two Indian Ocean neighbours had considerable untapped potential in tourism, hospitality, education, healthcare and traditional and holistic medicine.

Sri Lanka exported goods worth 132 million U.S. dollars to the Maldives in 2025, while imports from the Maldives amounted to about 5 million dollars. Insulated wire and cable were among Sri Lanka’s main exports.

Samarasinghe identified fresh fruit, vegetables, wheat flour, black tea, tea packaging, electrical conductors, nuts, seeds and processed food as areas with potential for greater trade. He also pointed to opportunities in the Maldives’ canned fish industry.

He urged businesses in both countries to explore new areas of cooperation and revive earlier efforts to strengthen bilateral economic ties.

The Minister said the Government remained committed to creating a stable, transparent and investor-friendly business environment.

He also called on the Sri Lanka–Maldives Business Council to work more closely with small and medium-sized enterprises and emerging industries.