The air bubble between India and Maldives is proving to be helpful for the South Asian country of Maldives, according to an ET report. As per the statistics put out by the Maldives Immigration department, the number of Indian visitors has shown a steady increase ever since the air bubble arrangement was established between the two countries since mid-August.
As per the statistics, in October 1,396 Indian tourists visited the Maldives, and this is a growth of 433% over September 2020. Although India is the fourth largest in the top 10 source markets contributing to tourist arrivals, in terms of the growth rate, India is the fastest-growing international market.
October 2020 statistics indicates that the top source markets contributing to Maldives tourism are Russia (5995 visitors); UK (1780 and the US (1449), followed by India, France, Ukraine, Germany, UAE, Spain, etc. On October, 21, 515 foreign tourists visited the Maldives compared to 9,538 (Sept); 7628 ( Aug) and 1752 (July).
For Indian travel trade, Maldives and Dubai are the saving grace, although destinations like Japan, Kenya, South Africa have also announced the opening of borders for international travellers.
It is reported that people feel more comfortable and confident to travel to the Maldives than any other destination. The number one reason is the availability of direct flights, it is short distance travel and once you are there, you are ensconced in an island. It is also the element of safety which is driving traffic to the Maldives. The RT-PCR negative test is mandatory before boarding which makes people comfortable. With the wedding season ahead in India, the demand is set to go up further for the Maldives.
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