The first tourists recently arrived onboard Qatar Airways which landed in Velana International Airport (VIA). Connecting from various countries, 107 foreigners and 24 Maldivians arrived on the first commercial flight to land in Maldives since borders closed for tourists on 27th March of this year.

The tourism sector is the worst hit of all major economic sectors with the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic. This is especially true in the Maldives, where tourism accounts for the majority of foreign exchange earnings.

 Nevertheless, the health and safety of tourists and residents in the Maldives have always been paramount and the resumption of the tourism industry was only given the go ahead following extensive consultations with health professionals and all stakeholders. A COVID-19 safe tourism guideline has been issued by the Ministry of Tourism along with a certification program to ensure the safety and hygiene standards of all tourism facilities which include accommodation, transportation, airports and other related facilities.