Malé, Maldives – Maldives expect to receive 1.5 million tourists for the year 2021.
The latest statistics revealed by the Tourism Ministry shows that as of February 17, Maldives has recorded 147,744 tourist arrivals, with 28 airlines flying in and out of the country.
While Maldives has recorded 147,744 tourist arrivals from January 1st till February 17, this is a decrease of 43.8 percent compared to the same time of 2020 where a total of 263,007 tourist arrivals were recorded by the same time. This decrease in numbers is due to the global pandemic which adversely affected the global travel industry.
There are currently 28 international airlines operating flights to and from Maldives. Of this, major international schedules airlines operating to the Maldives include Emirates (30,567 passengers), Qatar Airways (20,999), IndiGo (18,998), GoAir (17,715) and Aeroflot (16,623).
After temporarily closing its borders to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maldives reopened borders to all nationalities from 15th July 2020. All tourist arrivals into the country are required to present proof of a negative Covid-19 test carried out within the 96 hours prior to departure. Visitors are granted a 30-day free on-arrival visa with a confirmed booking for a stay at any registered tourist facility in the country.
The halt in tourism activity caused by the border closure resulted in catastrophic consequences for the Maldivian tourism industry. However, signs of recovery are steadily emerging with Maldives tourism arrival projections at 1.5 million for the year 2021.
