Luis, on his 11th Maldives trip, becomes 2025’s first visitor

The Velana International Airport (VIA) has celebrated the arrival of Maldives’ first visitor in the year 2025.

Luis, accompanied by his wife and daughter, arrived in the Maldives on early Wednesday, as dawn broke for a new year.

In a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday, the VIA said that it marks the Luis family’s 11th visit to the island destination.

The VIA described the Luis family as more than just visitors, but “truly part of the Maldives family.”

“Their love for our ocean, sand, and people makes today even more special.  Thank you for making the paradise your second home,” reads the post on X.

“We wish you and your loved ones a very happy and prosperous new year.”

The Maldives celebrated a record tourist arrival figure exceeding two million last year, and won the World’s Leading Destination award for the fifth consecutive year at the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA).

The island destination aims to achieve 2.3 million arrivals and boost tourism revenue from USD 4 billion to USD 5 billion this year.