The number of tourists visiting the Maldives has been affected due to the lockdown imposed on India's New Delhi.
Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) said a significant decrease in tourist arrivals has been noted following the lockdown imposed in New Delhi due to the deteriorating COVID-19 situation in neighboring India. While airlines such as India's GoAir and Indigo operate to the Maldives, the flights sometimes stopover in New Delhi and carries passengers from the state. However, due to the current lockdown in New Delhi, the flights can no longer stopover in New Delhi, which has in turn affected the number of tourists visiting the Maldives. MACL's Terminal Operator at Velana International Airport, Ibrahim Hussaid said only 55 tourists arrived via a flight with the capacity to accommodate 150 tourists on Monday.
Statistics published by the Ministry of Tourism reveals that India is currently the top source market for tourism in the Maldives. The latest statistics published by the Ministry of Tourism indicates that as of 31st March 2021 Maldives welcomed a total of 298,570 travelers with an arrival figure of 69,730 travelers from India.
