Maldives vaccinates over 30% of tourism front line workers

A resort industry worker receiving the first dose of Covishield vaccine, manufactured by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, in collaboration with Oxford University | Photo: Avas

Malé, Maldives – The Ministry of Tourism of Maldives has announced that more than 8,800 tourism front line workers in the Maldives have received their first jab of the Covid-19 vaccine, accounting for 30 percent of the entire industry.

With this, Maldives confidently remains in the running to stand tall among the world’s first countries to offer Covid-19 vaccination opportunities to the entire tourism sector.

Being heavily reliant on the tourism industry with majority of its income coming from the sector either directly or indirectly, the Maldivian economy crashed hard and fast when the pandemic hit, suspending flights and closing off countries. However, Maldives has come a long way since then and has made a very successful recovery of the sector, adapting to a new normal way of life and tourism.

As of now, Maldives has welcomed more than 200,000 tourists in just 2021 alone, with numbers expected to increase on the daily as Covid-19 safety measures and vaccination continues to makes traveling safer again.

Maldives started its nationwide vaccination campaign, Covid-19 Dhifaau on the 1st of February and has since seen more than 137,000 individuals being vaccinated in the country. The government of Maldives is working with the aim of vaccinating the entire population – both local and expatriates – within the upcoming five months.