World Travel and Tourism Council declares Maldives a ‘safe destination’

The Maldives has been declared a "safe destination" by the World Travel and Tourism Council, as per media reports. When the Maldives decided to open its border on July 15, 2020, the country became a favourite holiday destination for travel enthusiasts from across the world.

The Maldives comprises of 1,196 islands, of which only 200 are inhabited. The country offers unique geography, pristine white beaches, turquoise water, exotic resorts and immense scope for adventure activities. 

According to reports, Indians contributed to approximately 20-30 per cent of the tourists before the pandemic. But, now their numbers have gone up to around 60-65 per cent since the country opened its borders. India has emerged as the third-largest market to the Maldives, as there are restrictions on other travel destinations.

The impact of the pandemic on Maldives’ tourism sector was disastrous as it is a tourism-dependent archipelago, and its lucrative tourism sector was hit hard during the lockdown.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, while around 1.7 million tourists visited the picturesque destination in 2019, only 4,40,197 tourists have visited the country between January 1 and November 16, 2020. The expected number of tourists in 2020 was around 2 million.

To revive the dying tourism sector, the country promised facilities like on-arrival visas, easy access to shores, and no-quarantine policy for tourists. What also attracts tourists from all over the world and makes them feel safe, is the islands’ strict adherence to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, with some extra precautions.

All tourists are required to hold a negative nucleic acid test report (PCR test) for COVID-19 before entry. The PCR test must be taken no more than 72 hours before the scheduled time of departure.