The Maldivian Tourism industry is undeniably the biggest industry for the country. However, it was also the worst affected industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making the Maldives, despite a less serious situation with the virus, one of the worst-hit nations economically due to the virus.
Now, the country and the industry are slowly getting back to its feet. One of the biggest feats in this was the reopening of local islands for tourism.
From July 15 to October 14, only resorts and safaris were permitted to operate. Guesthouses and city hotels in local islands were permitted to operate on October 15. Taking a look at one of the biggest names in the local tourism sector, Maafushi has so far shown extremely promising numbers, in terms of tourist arrivals.
More than 100 tourists have visited the local tourism hub in the six days, according to the council of the island. Maafushi has a total of 35 guesthouses with a bed capacity of 1,100.
Tourism Ministry statistics show that 28 guesthouses in the Maldives have so far been permitted to reopen, including six from Maafushi.
Guesthouses are permitted to open after meeting certain safety requirements. Guests and members of the public in these islands are mandated to wear masks at all times. The islands should also have a flu clinic and isolation facilities.
86 islands in the Maldives are home to guesthouses with a bed capacity of more than 10,000. The industry is a source of income for more than 6,000 individuals, and around 10 percent of the tourist market is occupied by the guesthouse industry.
Local tourism has and still remains as an important lifeline for many islands. Displaying the beautiful, unique culture and way of life of Maldivians, the sector of tourism best shows just why the Maldives is so sought after.
