The final preparations have begun for a hot air balloon festival which will be held in May.
The festival will be held in capital Male's running track area.
A senior official of the company behind the 'Maldives Hot Air Balloon Festival 2017' said the event will continue through March 19-20. He also noted that this is the first such festival to be held in the Maldives.
"Civil Aviation has given the go ahead for this event. We are currently working on the final touches for the event," official said.
He further said the balloons for the event would be brought in by a company approved by the Thai civil aviation, and added that a specialized team would be arriving in the Maldives with the balloons.
Tickets for the balloon ride will be sold at MVR700 with each balloon accommodating 30 passengers.
"Limited tickets will be sold. There will be free tickets distributed through a promotion as well. This promotion will be carried out via social media," the official said.
Other stalls will also be held at the area of the festival. Three balloons will take flight during the event.
The balloons will be held in place and will be lit up during the night.
Hot air balloons are flown in nations around the globe and remains a popular attraction for tourists.
