A study of 11,861 tourists in the Maldives found that traditional hotel-booking methods, including calls to hotels and travel agencies, remain common even as digital reservations grow.
Researchers from Tongji University and the National University of Maldives analyzed booking data and identified two basic types of travelers. Their work, published in August 2026, shows that booking choices depend on more than convenience. The same trip can prompt different decisions depending on who is traveling and why. The Ministry of Tourism reported 195,390 international arrivals in the Maldives in August 2026, up 1.7% from the previous year. Every booking channel remains in use.
On September 2, 2026, the President of the Maldives ratified the 8th amendment to the GST Act, introducing a tax mechanism for offshore booking platforms and foreign travel agents. It also extended the 17% TGST to tourism products sold through offshore channels.
Contradicting the digital myth
It might seem obvious that first-time visitors on short trips would book online. The data tells a different story. Tourists from nearby countries visiting the Maldives for the first time and staying briefly often use travel agencies. This is a pattern, not a strict rule, and it emerges when several traveler traits are considered together. The Maldivian government has recently used new regulations to highlight the importance of online and intermediary channels in inbound tourism.
Another group, also first-timers from nearby countries but less interested in luxury hotels, prefers booking online. Travelers with similar distances and trip lengths can choose different channels because their broader profiles differ. The same mix appears in other travel products, including Imserso trips, which are still sold through agencies and digital platforms.
The enduring power of the phone
Phone bookings have not disappeared. For long-haul travelers in the first group, calling the hotel remains common, likely because international trips often raise questions that are easier to resolve in a direct conversation. The study does not explore the personal reasons behind each call, but the pattern is clear: distance and uncertainty keep the phone relevant.
Repeat visitors from nearby countries also continue to use the phone. Prior experience with the Maldives does not always push travelers online. For some, direct contact offers more reassurance than digital forms. The study does not claim phone bookings are cheaper or safer. It finds that some travelers still choose them.
The text of the 8th GST amendment explicitly lists accommodation and food, along with transport and other tourism services supplied without a permanent establishment in the country. The wording reflects the Maldivian government’s recognition of the importance of digital and intermediary channels in the tourism sector.
Intermediaries also have a place. Repeat visitors from nearby countries often use them, while tourists traveling for less typical reasons are more likely to book through intermediaries in the second group. This category covers a range of booking platforms, but the research does not compare specific companies or brands.
Why averages hide the truth
The research team used a statistical model called finite mixture multinomial logit (FMMNL) to avoid treating all 11,861 tourists as a single group. By segmenting travelers, they showed that the same trip length or distance can lead to different booking choices depending on a traveler’s full profile. Neither first-time status nor distance alone explains the decision; hotel category also matters. The patterns emerge only when these elements are considered together.
Had the researchers relied on averages, they might have concluded that short stays always favor one channel. Instead, the segmentation shows that context matters: one traveler might book a short trip through an agency, while another books online.
Implications for hotels and the limits of the study
Hotels need distribution strategies that match their guests’ actual profiles. A property serving first-time visitors from nearby markets will need a different approach from one focused on repeat customers. The study does not suggest dropping traditional channels. Some travelers use intermediaries or phone calls; others book through agencies or online.
These findings apply specifically to tourists visiting the Maldives and should not be assumed to hold for Spain or other destinations. The data comes from the Maldives Visitor Survey, an official government source, and was anonymized before analysis. The full peer-reviewed article is available in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications via its permanent DOI.
Assumptions about digital dominance often miss the real picture for the travel industry. Booking behavior reflects traveler preferences, shaped by distance and experience. Hotels that overlook those details risk missing travelers who still want a human touch or prefer to hear a voice on the other end of the line.
