Tourists are vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccine upon arrival in the Maldives

The Maldives will provide Covid-19 vaccine to international tourists. This is a new initiative to attract tourists to revive the economy of the Maldives, which largely depends on tourism.
Maldives – an archipelagic country in South Asia famous for its tropical climate and pristine waters, depends heavily on the tourism industry. About 67% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is sourced directly and indirectly from the tourism industry.

Currently, visitors to the Maldives must provide a negative PCR test and proof of hotel reservations in order to gain entry. Maldives Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom recently said the Maldives’ Health Protection Agency is about to announce the lifting of entry restrictions for tourists who have completed their vaccinations. In addition, the country is preparing to deploy the 3V strategy “Visit, vaccinate, vacation” to attract and facilitate international tourists. Maldives is known as “paradise of relaxation”. Source: Getty Images However, the Maldives has not decided on the time of implementing this program. The government will first give priority to the people, to ensure that they are fully vaccinated with two doses of Covid-19 vaccine. When that process is completed, the country will be ready to vaccinate foreign visitors to visit and travel. So far, about 53% of the approximately 530,000 inhabitants of the island nation have received the first dose; this includes about 90% of frontline travel workers. It is not clear if tourists will have to pay for the vaccine, but the leader said vaccine supplies should not be an issue for the Maldives. The island nation receives vaccine funding from India, China and the World Health Organization’s Covax program; In addition, they also ordered more vaccines from Singapore. This year, the Maldives has welcomed 350,000 visitors, mainly visitors from neighboring country India. In addition, a large number of visitors come here under the “workation” model, with longer stays to work remotely. Minister Mausoom said that these long-stay guests will also receive two doses of vaccine. The 2021 target of the Maldives is to welcome 1.5 million visitors and 10 million room nights.