Two more tourist facilities open doors to visitors, with one safari vessel halting services over the past week

Two more tourist facilities opened doors to visitors over the past week, with which the total operational capacity of tourist facilities has risen to 934.

Latest weekly statistics publicized by the Ministry of Tourism revealed the total operational facilities include 162 resorts, 618 guesthouses, 10 hotels and 144 liveaboard vessels.

Maldives currently has a capacity of 1,141 tourist facilities which include 157 safari vessels, 817 hotels and guesthouses and 167 resorts. This means that of the total facility-capacity, 13 safari vessels, five resorts, 189 guesthouses and hotels are yet to resume operations.

The number of operational beds increased to 53,822 as well, of which 38,822 are in resorts, 1,360 are in hotels, 10,806 are in guesthouses and 2,834 are in safari vessels.

The two tourist facilities that resumed services across the Maldives between January 12 and 19 were one resort and one guesthouse in Dhiggaru island of Meemu atoll. Further operations in one safari vessel were halted temporarily as well.

The ministry on January 1 facilitated the introduction of Homestay in the Maldives as well, with the first of its kind launched in Dhiggaru island of Meemu atoll. This comes under the president’s tourism development vision and policy to make tourism and its benefits to the island communities, accessible.

The first tourists under the homestay concept were welcomed to “Moorithi” guesthouse in Dhiggaru.

Nearly four months since borders were closed, Maldives reopened borders on 15 July 2020 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.