Maldives – Still the Indian Fav Getaway Destination!
Thursday 20th of January 2022
The peak of tourism in the Maldives was maintained by the influx of travelers from India, according to the stats.
2021 proved to be a monumental year for the industry as minimal post-covid travel restriction allowed for travelers from all over the globe to vacation in the safe haven of the archipelago. The Indian market, from the most affluent Bollywood stars to adventurous budget travelers, dominated over 22% of the total tourist arrivals of the year. That is a whopping 90% of the 341,000 travelers from the Asia & the Pacific region, and close to 300,000 from the total of 1.2 million tourists to Maldives!
A number of favorable conditions played a major role in this pivot towards Maldives becoming the ‘must-visit’ destination on every Indian’s travel bucket list.
The increasing frequency of direct flight connections between the Maldives and India has made these islands more accessible than ever, from not more than merely a few hours-long flights. 4 scheduled and 1 charter airlines currently operate flights from prominent hubs in India, such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai, to the Maldives.
All tourists are only required to present only a negative PCR test taken 96-hours prior to flight, a more flexible duration than the mandated 72 hours. Tourists to the Maldives receive on-arrival visa of 30-days to spend their time in tourist accommodations in the across the country.
A total of 53,000 tourist beds were in operation by the end of 2021. These include high-end luxury resorts well sought-after around the world, the thrilling experience offered aboard a tourist vessel, and the opportunity to mingle with local islanders in guesthouses on local islands.
Guests can indulge in recreational activities of all sorts, from rejuvenating spa treatments to exciting underwater encounters. The country remains ideal for solo travelers, couples, families, and even friends to get together. Stays among Indian travellers average between 4 to 6 days for shorter vacations, and some extending over the week.
Tourist destinations within the Maldives remain one of the safest in the world, confided in by the Safe Travel Stamp presented by WTTC in September 2020. Following this certification, Maldives rolled out the ambitious ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign to ensure all service providers in the hospitality and tourism industry are deemed as front-line workers prioritized to complete vaccination.
The gradually increasing spike of Indian vacationers are expected to be on the rise in 2022 as well.