Maldives Allows Split-Stay Between Resorts For Longer and More Enjoyable Holidays

Tuesday 1st of September 2020

Maldives Allows Split-Stay Between Resorts For Longer and More Enjoyable Holidays

In a press release by the Ministry of Tourism on August 31, 2020, it was announced that tourists can now take advantage of split stays between resorts during their stay. The decision was made in consultation with the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

This relaxation of the regulations aims to encourage and allow tourists to experience more that one resort in the Maldives and to enable longer holidays. After the Maldivian borders re-opened on July 15, almost 90% of the 156 registered resorts announced being ready to open by October 2020.

According to data from Maldives Immigration, over 5000 tourists visited Maldives within the span of one month. Prior to this announcement, tourists were required to book their entire stay in a single establishment, with an exception for transit stays.

Split stays are permitted between resorts that meet all compulsory requirements under the 'split stay guideline' approved by HPA. If a tourist wishes to split their stay, a request for approval should be submitted to the Ministry of Tourism two days before the travelling date.

Maldives estimates arrival of 500,000 tourists by the end of the year. This is merely 30% of the tourist arrival of 2019, however, since bed nights have increased in spite of the situation, authorties estimate 120,000 tourist arrivals during peak season from September onwards.