The Maldives has officially announced that it will open its borders for tourists all around the world.
With almost all other preemptive measures that other nations are imposing almost non-existent in their tourism policy, many are wondering how this Indian ocean nation will survive with or without the tourists in general.
In the beginning, international visitors will only be allowed on the resort islands and they need to book their entire stay in one registered establishment. Exemptions will only be made for transit arrangements, according to the Maldives government’s guidelines. In terms of Covid-19 prevention, tourism officials are banking on the fact each resort essentially offers its own form of quarantine already — albeit a pretty enjoyable one.
The Maldives is made up of 26 atolls filled with over 1,000 islands occupied by dozens of resorts, all spread out over 90,000 square kilometers.
Most of the islands in the Maldives developed for tourism feature just a single resort. Should guests or staff come into contact with someone who tests positive for Covid-19, in theory they will be easily traceable, while the potential for spread is kept to a minimum.
But as enticing as it sounds to hop on a plane for the Maldives right now, travelers may have to contend with their own country’s quarantine measures upon their return — and that might deter them from visiting.
“What is important to take into consideration is that it depends not only on the Maldives, but also on lifting of travel restrictions in different countries.
It is not just desire but ability,” says Sonu Shivdasani, CEO and founder of Soneva, which has two Maldives resorts — Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani. “We have more on the books at Soneva Fushi for August than we had at the same time last year.
As the borders open, and our main markets are allowed to travel to us, it could be our best August ever.”
In spite of the global aviation downturn, it is possible to fly to the Maldives commercially right now, with several major airlines connecting through the Middle East.
These include Emirates Airlines, which offers connections through Dubai from major global cities like London, Chicago, Toronto and Sydney. Fellow UAE carrier Etihad will resume flights from Abu Dhbai to the Maldives from July 16. Turkish Airlines is tentatively starting flights from July 17.
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