Maldives meets tourist arrival target for 2021
The 1.3 millionth tourist is a Romanian national
Maldives welcomed the 1.3 millionth tourist on Monday evening
Maldives has reached its tourist arrival target for the year.
The country’s target for the year was 1.3 million, which was met with the arrival of Romanian national Constantin Stelian Emil on Monday.
Officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) and other state institutions welcomed the 1.3 millionth tourist of the air at the Velana International Airport on Monday evening.
A colorful celebration was held at the airport to welcome Emil, who arrived via a GullivAir flight with his spouse and two children. Emil and wife spent their honeymoon in the Maldives five years ago and are ecstatic to be back in the Maldives. The couple is to stay seven nights and eight days at Bandos Maldives, during their visit.
Expressing his delight in having been welcomed into the Maldives as the 1.3 millionth tourist of the year, Emil wished Maldives success in reaching a new milestone of two million tourists in 2022.
Emil stayed at Paradise Island Resort during his honeymoon visit.
Speaking to press at the event, Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom revealed that they remain hopeful to achieve next year’s target; set at two million.
Secretary General of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), Ahmed Nazeer revealed that it is likely that the target is reached and it is good news for the Maldives as almost everyone is currently in the tourism sector; resorts, guesthouses and safaris. He added that everybody is looking forward to see more and more tourists coming into the country.
I think it is a good target and we hope we will get there, said Nazeer, who added that despite the hurdles of Covid-19, the country’s occupancy rate is well above 90 percent.
Minister Mausoom highlighted that Maldives welcomed the greatest number of tourist arrivals on a single-day basis, since borders were reopened in 2020, during Sunday as well.
He added that the achievements of the tourism sector can only be credited to the hard work of all industry officials, partners and employees in unity.
The ministry revealed that a record-breaking 7,098 arrivals were recorded on Sunday, making it the highest daily figure recorded since border reopening. Maldives has broken the record four times throughout the concluding month.
