Friday saw a highest number of daily tourist arrivals recorded for the Maldives this year, signaling that the tourism industry is well-positioned to recover from the economic downturn caused by Covid-19 in the coming months.

Statistics made public by the Ministry of Tourism detail that over 5,275 tourists arrived in the Maldives on Friday, 26 March. With this, a total of 269,504 tourists have travelled to the Maldives between 1 January 2021, and 24 March 2021. India remains the top source market for arrivals to the Maldives, with a total of 64,059 tourists having arrived in the Maldives from India this year. Russia follows in second, contributing 58,680 arrivals to this year's arrivals total, and Ukraine remains in the third sport with 16,915 tourists having arrived in the Maldives from Ukraine in 2021.

According to Tourism Ministry statistics, other top source markets for Maldivian tourism include Kazakhstan, Germany, Romania, Czech Republic, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The Maldives has been making steady efforts to resuscitate tourism across the island nation, and has begun large-scale Covid-19 vaccination programmes for airport workers and tourism sector employees as well. With strict Covid-19 health and safety regulations and travel restrictions in place, only 0.22 percent of tourists arriving in the Maldives test positive for Covid-19.

The Tourism Ministry has reveled that a total of 14,898 tourism sector employees have thus far received their first doses of Covid-19 vaccines from across the island nation, between 4 February and 25 March 2021. Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom has previously stressed the importance of vaccinating tourism sector employees, especially noting their sacrifices as frontline workers in an industry that is critical to the Maldivian economy.

Priority is being given to vaccinate tourism sector employees who come in close contact with tourists, such as those working on liveaboard vessels, guest house employees and those performing guest service roles at various tourist establishments. As such, 14,147 resort workers, 306 guesthouse employees, 220 persons working on liveaboard vessels and 70 hotel employees have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in the Maldives from the tourism sector by 25 March. In addition to this, 24 employees of travel agencies, 64 artists and 67 Tourism Ministry employees have also been administered their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccines.

While the increase in number of tourist arrivals being reported of late signal that the tourism industry, which was hit hard by Covid-19, is well-positioned to recover from its post-pandemic downturn in the coming months, the Ministry of Tourism is hopeful that the recovery forecast will surpass expectations. Tourism Minister Mausoom has previously noted that the industry is expected to recover and equalize suitably in the upcoming month of July.