Maldives: the paradise island that serves as a refuge from disasters for rich Indians

COLOMBO.- Maldives host many wealthy Indians seeking a break from the coronavirus ravaging their open-door country, unlike other countries which have suspended their air links with India.

The archipelago of over a thousand islands and crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean It reopened its airports to foreign tourists in mid-July last year, after a three-month closure. This week, unlike many countries that have closed their borders to travelers from India, the Maldivian government has made only minor changes to its rules for such visitors. Tourists arriving from India, by a flight of just over two hours, they can stay in a hotel or on a boat. On the other hand, they cannot settle in guesthouses on the islands where the local population lives., according to the new directives in force.

“The geographical location of our islands helps us to minimize the risks [de contagio]”Said Thoyyib Mohamed, head of the Visit Maldives Tourist Board. “Each island is home to a unique, self-contained resort complex. Although we have a few cases here and there, they can be confined in these complexes without exposing the local population“, Explain.

According to Thoyyib, his country has launched a vaccination campaign for 50,000 workers in the tourism sector and people who provide services related to the hotel industry. “We want to be the first fully vaccinated tourism sector in the world”, said Thoyyib. About 90% of workers have already been vaccinated, he adds.

Some media have reported on the Maldives’ intention to vaccinate foreign tourists. But the authorities assure that To date, there is no plan in this regard until all Maldives and residents have received both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.. More than two-thirds of the archipelago’s 330,000 inhabitants have been vaccinated, according to data from the Ministry of Health. Since the start of the pandemic, just over 29,000 infections and 72 deaths from Covid-19 have been recorded.

According to Thoyyib, the number of Indian visitors declined last week due to the unprecedented health crisis in India and the suspension of air links. But the Indians remain the most numerous tourists in the archipelago.

Before the pandemic, they were second behind the Chinese, who have since emerged from the top 10.

Among the luxury refugees in recent weeks, some Bollywood stars like Alia Bhatt, her partner Ranbir Kapoor, as well as Shraddha Kapoor, who posted on Instagram photos of her doing yoga at sunset at a resort in the Maldives. .

According to the press, private airlines have reported growing demand for flights from India to Europe, the Middle East and the Maldives. But there were also group thefts. “It’s not just the super-rich,” says The Print Rajan Mehra, director of New Delhi-based private aviation company Club One Air. “Those who can afford a private flight take private flights”.

One more record 1.7 million tourists visited the Maldives in 2019, 15% more than in 2018, according to the government. 555494 visitors, although the sector shows signs of recovery. Some 381,000 foreign tourists have already visited the country since the start of the year.

Agencia AFP

AFP