A Look Back on the Past Year Since Maldives’ Border Reopening

Sunday 18th of July 2021

On July 15, 2020, the Maldives marked a milestone as the borders reopened after a closure of more than 3 months post the pandemic onset. All international travelers were welcomed under minimal entry rules and stringent hygiene and safety measures in place at the touchpoints at all times.

Since then, a whopping 715,600 travelers have sought the peaceful serenity in the safe haven in Maldives. The award-winning protocols adapted by industry stakeholders proved to be a vital component in maintaining the destination safe for the arriving wander lusters. In a drive to further strengthen and reassure additional layers of safety, an industry-wide vaccination drive was initiated, which so far has seen 72% of the tourism and hospitaliuty industry frontliners get fully vaccinated.

Over the past months, the entry requirements were continually monitored for timely best decisions, and restrictions were enhanced based on the Covid situation in the neighboring countries and around the world. In this regard, the most impact was observed when visa issuance was halted for travelers entering Maldives from South Asian countries, India being the top source market to the Maldives since borders reopened. The sudden dip in arrivals then was sufficed with immense effort by industry partners to promote the Maldives in strategic promotional campaigns run internationally targeting key markets.

On July 15, 2021, the day that marked one year since the industry’s collaborated efforts to revive the biggest economic contributing sector to the nation, borders are once again opened and welcoming to all holiday-seekers with minimal entry requirements. Of course, the naturally scattered private and exclusive getaways are a bonus when it comes to offering tailored and authentic experiences in the establishments even amid a pandemic.

All tourists arriving in the Maldives are required to submit a negative PCR test done within 96 hours prior to embarking on the journey to the sunny side of Maldives, irrelevant of vaccination status.

In the face of even the most trying times the industry has experienced globally, Maldives remains at the forefront of setting examples as a consistent provider of a truly world-class product to our visitors.