Whilst being home to 26 atolls and over 1,190 islands, the Maldives is also made up of 99% tropical Indian Ocean waters. Thanks to its unique geographical location, Maldivian culture has been inspired by the Indian Ocean surroundings and the skills brought by early settlers from India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, as well as further afield from Arabia, Persia, Indonesia, and Africa.
With the safe travel corridor announced on 25th October between the UK and the Maldives, UK holidaymakers are able to travel to the Indian Ocean without quarantining on return. Visitors to the Maldives will be able to notice these influences throughout their stay in the local culture and adventurous activities they experience as well as in the sensational spas and romantic packages on offer. And to encourage and allow tourists to experience more than one resort in the Maldives and to enable longer stays, the Ministry of Tourism in consultation with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has recently introduced facilitation of Split Stays between resorts and other tourist accommodation.
For those travellers looking to tick off a bucket list destination this winter or in 2021, Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation has provided six pillars which will help holidaymakers plan ahead and find their perfect holiday in the Indian Ocean nation.
I was lucky enough to attend my first World Travel Market last year and was left wide-eyed by the extravagance of the stand designs and marvelling at the industry coming together from around the world. Not to mention exhausted from running from one side of Excel to the other juggling press packs, on-stand badges and a laptop, all whilst wearing high-heeled boots – oh I had a lot to learn!
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has recognized the efforts of the Maldives in implementing enhanced health and safety measures, in line with the WTTC global Safe Travels protocols and creating a safe, gradual plan by rebuilding confidence among travellers and ensuring a coordinated approach in restarting our Tourism industry.