Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom has stated that the current year will be a successful year for Maldives' tourism. The minister made the statement while speaking on 'Raajje Miadhu' program aired by state TV, PSM.
The minister said the tourism industry suffered huge setbacks when the Maldives was forced to close its borders last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Maldives ended the year on a good note after the bordered reopened to tourists after almost four months, he said.
While the Maldives has been reporting a high number of daily COVID-19 infections, Mausoom said Maldives still remains a popular destination among tourists. The game plan for the time being is to lower the number of COVID-19 infections, which will in turn increase the demand for tourism, he said.
"Europe has included Maldives in its red list due to the large number of cases recorded in the Maldives compared to its population. Therefore, we should strive to bring down the numbers, and other countries will ease the restrictions they have imposed," said Mausoom.
The Maldives has recorded 66,868 cases of COVID-19 and 171 deaths to date. The past few weeks have been particularly devastating, with over 80 deaths recorded in May and 11 deaths so far in June.
