The industry has done it! Maldives records tourist arrivals surpassing the half-a-million mark on June 26, 2021, just a few days before mid-year.
Tourism industry in the Maldives is one of the few that has been up and running since the onset of the pandemic, majorly contributing to the survival of the nation’s economy. With a number of challenges, stakeholders have been adapting and pushing forward with marketing the destination and enticing travelers to the safe shores of Maldives throughout the year. As a result, even amid waves of virus spread and travel restrictions in key markets, 500,494 tourists have made their way to the Maldives so far this year.
Being made up of a chain of naturally socially distanced islands have given Maldives an advantage over competitive destinations, and the nation-wide vaccination campaign, stringent safety and cleanliness measures, first and only border-crossing loyalty program in the world – these are just a few of the must-have boxes that Maldives ticks off on a travel checklist in addition to the exclusive offerings in the top-notch destination.
Moreover, over 30 international airlines from around the world make the remote islands accessible conveniently through hype travel hubs.
The year kicked off with over 90,000 arrivals every month, the strongest markets of Russia and India dominating tourist arrivals until the recent wave that locked down India in May. Since then, Russia has remained the top source market to Maldives along with Germany, Ukraine, and USA. The average stay has lengthened to 9 days. There are over 47,000 tourist beds in operation across resorts, guesthouses, safari vessels and hotels in the destination.
Industry stakeholders remain optimistic in reaching their target of 1 million tourist arrivals for this year, which is achievable with the ongoing combined efforts by the destination.