Over the past week, two guesthouses resumed operations
Guesthouses in the Greater Malé Region
With two more guesthouses having resumed operations across Maldives by the beginning of December, the total operational capacity of tourist accommodation establishments has risen to 911.
The latest weekly statistics publicized by the Ministry of Tourism reveal two guesthouses; one each in Haa Alif atoll and Kaafu atoll opened doors to tourists over the past week, with one guesthouse in Seenu atoll having halted operations.
As such, a total of 911 facilities are currently operational nationwide, of which 160 are resorts, 597 are guesthouses, 10 are hotels and 144 are liveaboard vessels.
The number of operational beds increased to 52,024 as well, of which 37,352 are in resorts, 11,826 are in hotels and guesthouses and 2,846 are in safari vessels.
Maldives currently has a capacity of 1,121 tourist facilities which include 157 safari vessels, 797 hotels and guesthouses and 167 resorts. This means that of the total facility-capacity, 13 safari vessels, seven resorts, 190 guesthouses and hotels are yet to resume operations.
Tourists who have not completed the Covid-19 vaccination will be barred from checking into guesthouses established in residential islands, according to a publication by the Maldives Health Protection Agency (HPA). 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.
