The Maldives has been awarded a Safe Tourism stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
Tourism Minister Dr. Abdulla Mausoom in an interview given to AVAS said the stamp has been awarded to the Maldives, and that the certification is an important part of assuring that Maldives is safe for tourists. Maldives was informed that the stamp has been awarded to the archipelago on Monday, and WTTC has since made a public announcement regarding the same.
“We now have the endorsement of the World Travel and Tourism Council. The ministry will officially announce this soon. We have received the safe destination endorsement. Hopefully, this will help move things forward,” he said.
The minister further said the requirement for a negative PCR test to gain entry into the Maldives has given more assurance that the Maldives is safe. Noting that other countries supported the decision, the minister said the Russian flag carrier, Aeroflot also resumed operation to the Maldives after the requirement was announced. Noting that the Russian market is a major market for Maldives tourism, Dr. Mausoom said the benefits of the flights will soon have an effect.
The minister also said that German tourists will not be required to quarantine themselves upon returning from the Maldives starting next month, and that itself is a point in favour.
WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, created the Safe Travels stamp to allow travellers to identify destinations and businesses around the world which have adopted the global standardised health and hygiene protocols. One of the first countries to receive the stamp was neighbouring Sri Lanka.
