The Maldives will reopen its borders to all international tourists from July 15, the country’s president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has confirmed.
In an address to Moldovans on Tuesday, he said resorts, 'liveaboards' and hotels located on uninhabited islands would reopen from July 15 and that guest houses and hotels located on inhabited islands would open on August 1.
Unlike Dubai or Cambodia, which are also both opening borders in July, tourists to the Maldives won’t need to produce a certificate or test results saying they are COVID-free before entering. For tourists without symptoms, there will be no quarantining either.
Instead, it is advising travellers who have been in contact with someone with coronavirus 14 days prior to visiting to avoid travelling, and those who show symptoms of the virus in the 14 days before they are scheduled to leave are advised not to visit either.
Incoming travellers will need to have a confirmed booking at a hotel or resort that is registered with the Ministry of Tourism before travelling and tourists who are visiting during phase one of reopening should book their entire stay with just one hotel or resort.
Tourism makes up 28 per cent of the Maldives’ GDP and it expects to see a 50 per cent drop in visitor arrivals initially. The country’s tourism revenue is expected to fall by £728 million in 2020 from £1.6 billion last year.
Tourism revenue has come to a standstill during the pandemic, so the nation is looking to boost its economy once again by reopening its doors.
