After months of total inaccessibility From Wednesday 15 July the Maldives will reopen to international tourists. The tropical paradise will come back to life on tourism, essential for the stability of the internal economy, and to welcome visitors from all over the world to admire the 1.200 coral islands, the 26 atolls, the whitest beaches and unique seabeds that only this area, unique of its kind, is able to offer. This was announced during a speech to the nation by His Excellency President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The Maldives have been closed for months in order to contain the spread of coronavirus infections as much as possible. According to the latest data, there were a total of 2.517 official cases, 13 deaths.
So in a few days the Maldives will reopen the borders. Resorts, liveaboards and hotels located on uninhabited islands will be able to welcome tourists immediately, while guesthouses and hotels located on inhabited islands will have to wait until August 1 to return to work. In the meantime, however, they will have the possibility to accommodate passengers in transit.
The Ministry of Tourism has providedor the guidelines for those who decide to go on holiday to the Maldives through a document entitled “Public Health Interventions to Prevent COVID-19 Transmission in the Tourism Sector”. The rules apply to all sectors of the tourism industry and define standard operating procedures valid for the coming months. However, the rules, underlined the ministry, are subject to updates and modifications based on the evolution of the national and international context.
There are no additional fees. Tourists will not need a medical certificate and there is no quarantine obligation either. However, those who show coronavirus symptoms upon arrival must undergo the necessary tests at their own expense. It will be necessary to complete a health declaration on board the aircraft, wear masks upon arrival at the airport, respect safety distances and undergo thermoscanner checks.
The Government of the Maldives also recommends downloading the national contact tracing application, TraceEkee.
