Monday, April 19, 2021
2021 feels like a repeat of 2020, although with an availability of vaccines in many countries; however, traveling still seems like extravagance to many. With the second-wave of the corona virus affecting many lives, it is best advised to stay at home as much as possible.
The Maldives, in an effort to boost its tourism sector, has announced plans to offer tourists with the COVID-19 vaccine. The South Asian archipelago’s Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom has made the announcement of a ‘3V’ plan that stands for ‘Visit’, ‘Vaccinate’, ‘Vacation’, as an enticement to visit the country.
“The main idea of tourism being open is to provide reasonably safe tourism with minimum inconvenience. So, once the country gets vaccinated, then we will move on to ‘3V’ tourism,” said Mausoom.
The Maldives is heavily reliant on its tourism industry. Hence, the vaccine will be given to visiting tourists after its residents and nationals are vaccinated.
Mausoom stated that so far, 90 per cent of “frontline tourism workers have been fully vaccinated”, while approximately half of the population has received “at least one dose”.
Mausoom said, “I don’t think supply’s a problem in Maldives because our population is relatively small,”. “The quota we get from the various organisations and friendly nations also will help.”
The Maldives has received 3,50,000 arrivals this year, with holidaymakers mainly from India taking advantage of the country’s limited entry requirements.
At the moment, Maldives is allowing visitors with a negative PCR test taken less than three days before travel, or who are fully vaccinated. This new plan to start vaccine packages makes the Maldives first country to do so.
Tags: maldives
