Maldives building back tourism on high jab rates

The Maldives is rebuilding its tourism industry on the back of high vaccination rates, with Chinese COVID-19 jabs among the supplies that are contributing to optimism in the Indian Ocean haven for sun-seekers.

The island nation had welcomed 973,269 tourists for the year as of Oct 25, the country's Ministry of Tourism said. It was expected to have closed out the month with 1 million arrivals, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation said.

The ministry's data showed that 102,434 tourists visited from Oct 1 to 24, an almost sixfold increase from the same period in 2020 but a 2 percent drop compared with 2019, the state-owned PSM News reported.

The Maldives attracted a record 1.7 million foreign tourists in 2019, a 15 percent increase from the previous year, according to the government, with China the biggest source of visitors in the last full year before COVID-19 shut down travel worldwide.

This year, India and Russia have outdone China as the biggest sources of tourists to the Maldives, accounting for 23 percent and 19 percent of arrivals, respectively.

Earlier this year, Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom said the nation was aiming for 1.3 million foreign visitors by the end of 2021. In May, the island's borders were closed to South Asian tourists because of a surge in coronavirus infections there. Travel from the region resumed in mid-July.

He said the reopening of the country's borders marked a vital step in the revival of the economy, which is heavily reliant on tourism.

Officials in the country hope to see more Chinese tourists later this year, while acknowledging that the pandemic has resulted in limited travel from China.

They have expressed appreciation for China's support for the country's economic revival and close cooperation in fisheries, agriculture and renewable energy.

According to rules announced by local authorities implemented since July 8, visitors who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine can travel between islands without having to undergo quarantine. But travelers have to show a negative polymerase chain reaction test taken at least 14 days after their second vaccine shot.

Effective control

The steps toward recovery in the industry are linked to the country's effective control of the virus, following a vaccination drive that began in February, as well as broader assistance from the Chinese government.

Data from the Health Protection Agency showed that the number of new infections on Saturday was 128, for a cumulative total of 87,487, with 237 deaths.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said that, by late September, 85 percent of the country's eligible population had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The vaccines adopted by the country include one from Chinese drugmaker Sinopharm, the Indian-made Covishield, and those from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, along with Russia's Sputnik V.

Xinhua contributed to this story.