Tourists will be vaccinated in the Maldives

The proposal for vaccination for tourists is part of a Maldivian three-point initiative, which aims to increase the interest of tourists on holidays in the Maldives this year. It encourages tourists to visit, vaccinate and longer holidays. This was stated by the CNBC portal. The South Asian island state is currently open to foreign tourists, despite the deteriorating epidemiological situation. The country is not considering closing the border, as the number of positive cases detected among tourists is very small so far. However, tourists must present a confirmation of a negative PCR test for covid-19 in English upon arrival, and the passenger must be tested no later than 96 hours before departure. Upon arrival in the Maldives, tourists are granted a free tourist visa for 30 days. However, a confirmation of the provision of hotel services is also a condition. According to many, the Maldives is one of the most romantic places in the world. Thanks to the islands with white beaches and calm turquoise water and interesting underwater life, it creates suitable conditions for a quiet exotic holiday. Due to the fact that the Maldives is located at the equator, they guarantee relatively constant temperatures of 28–32 ° C, accompanied by a pleasant cooling wind. The Maldives is usually visited by about 1.7 million people a year. Last year, however, it was just over half a million people. So far this year, about 350,000 tourists have visited the Maldives. Nevertheless, at this time, compared to other countries, it is one of the most visited. Nearly 70 percent of Maldives' gross domestic product is, directly or indirectly, dependent on tourism. The current pandemic situation is thus very unfavorable for the state and the local government is looking for ways to speed up the return of tourists to the country. However, according to Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom, the country's priority still remains to vaccinate locals. By Friday, more than 50 percent of the population had received the first dose. In the field of tourism, it is up to 90 percent of workers.