Maldives a hotspot for UAE residents, top envoy says

Over the years the idyllic island country of Maldives has emerged as a preferred tourist spot for people from the UAE, a top envoy said.

“UAE has been a long-standing close friend and development partner of the Maldives, which shares cultural commonalities. People-to-people relations are one of the key pillars of our bilateral relationship,” Aminath Shabeena, Ambassador of Maldives to the UAE told Khaleej Times.

According to statistics from the Maldives’ Ministry of Tourism for 2021, apart from Russia, India and Germany, the UAE has regularly featured among the top 5 countries from which residents thronged the scenic island country.

“The Maldives continues to receive an increasing number of tourists from the UAE. This trend is not just during the festive season like Eid and other national holidays but all throughout the year,” Shabeena noted.

Dubai-based dnata Travel underlined that the Maldives is the most sought-after destination for UAE travellers.

Emily Jenkins, general manager, dnata Travel Leisure, said: “The demand for travel is at a high as many countries are opening their borders to tourists once again, or relaxing, or removing Covid-19 related travel regulations, easing a passenger’s journey. The Maldives has remained a number one destination of choice with a spike in demand witnessed in early-March from the island nation removing PCR-testing requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers.”

In March, the popular beach destination country relaxed its Covid-19 protocols. Covid-19 PCR test is no longer mandatory to enter the Maldives and wearing of masks is optional. And last month, more than 10,000 UAE residents touched down on the Maldivian shores, which features several world-class hotels, resorts, restaurants and spas offering luxurious services.

Mathive, marketing manager, Luxury Holiday Maldives, said that people continue to favour the tropical islands for its breath-taking natural scenery.

“Eid Al Fitr holiday packages have been sold out and the bookings for next 3 months including for Eid Al Adha have already started. We provide both affordable and luxury tour packages.”

The Maldives is slowly returning to normalcy through momentum in its tourism sector, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the country’s GDP. The Maldives welcomed its 1 millionth tourist of 2021 in October. There were 1.3 million arrivals by the end of the last year.

“We are looking for a stronger 2022,” Mathive added.

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