Guesthouse Businesses Allowed to Restart from October 15

Thursday 3rd of September 2020

Guesthouse Businesses Allowed to Restart from October 15

The Maldives closed its borders for international travel on March 27th 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic and as of July 15th 2020, the borders were opened along with some resorts, to welcome guests back to the Maldives. However, guest houses were not given permission to open and have since been closed for more than five months now.

Tourism minister, Dr. Abdulla Mausoom from the Ministry of Tourism, announced on Wednesday that guesthouses in residential islands will be allowed to reopen for international tourists in October.

In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Mausoom said that while the Tourism Ministry will begin issuing permits to reopen guesthouses starting from October 15, guesthouses in Male’ City and suburban Hulhumale’ and Vilimale’ will not be allowed to reopen for international tourists due to the surge of coronavirus cases in the region.

Tourism Ministry has scheduled separate webinars with guesthouses and local councils to discuss the guidelines prior to the reopening as planned on October 15. Guesthouses will be required to present a health and safety plan to Tourism Ministry before-hand in order to be granted permission to reopen.

Resuming guesthouse business in residential islands is a public opinion and thus, will require consent of local councils. After guesthouses fulfill the necessary requirements, they will initially be issued a conditional permit. The issuing of permit will be based on consent from Island Council and criteria and guideline by HPA and HEOC.

The local council requirements are as follows:

• Establishment of isolation and quarantine facilities at the island

• Establishment of a COVID-19 taskforce

• Establishment of arrangements to transfer coronavirus patients to regional COVID-19 facility

• Establishment of a flu clinic

• Establishment of an isolation room in health center

Maldives has also mandated negative PCR results for tourist arrivals to strengthen safety measures ahead of guesthouse reopening.