19 more tourist facilities resume operations, over 860 operational

With 19 more tourist accommodation establishments having resumed operations over the past week, 869 facilities are currently operational.

According to the weekly statistics publicized by the Ministry of Tourism, over the past week 11 more guesthouses, seven hotels and one more liveaboard vessel resumed services to tourists across the Maldives.

This means that 570 guesthouses and hotels have reopened doors for business so far, with 11,006 operational beds.

Of the over 860 operational tourist facilities,155 are resorts operating 36,832 beds and 144 are liveaboard vessels operating 2,846 beds.

Over the past week, four more guesthouses resumed operations in Kaafu atoll, three more in Alif Alif atoll, two more in Faafu atoll, one each in Dhaalu and Gaaf Alif atolls also resumed services

Maldives has a capacity of 1,086 tourist facilities which include 161 safari vessels, 762 hotels and guesthouses and 163 resorts. This means that of the total facility-capacity, 17 safari vessels, eight resorts, 192 guesthouses and hotels are yet to resume operations.

Recently, authorities revealed that tourists who have not completed the Covid-19 vaccination will be barred from checking into guesthouses established in residential islands. As such, only those who have passed the limit of 14 days after completing both doses of the vaccine can check in to local guesthouses.

Maldives reopened borders on 15 July 2020, nearly four months since borders were closed and at first, resorts and liveaboard vessels were given the green light to begin operations. Guesthouses outside of the Greater Malé Region were permitted to resume operations on 15 October 2020. Authorities allowed the reopening of guesthouses in the capital region on 14 December 2020.