While there are many destinations that have opened up their doors once again for leisure travelers, it seems like the number of people willing to risk it isn’t that much.
So, to encourage more tourists to come to visit again, popular travel spots are offering hard-to-refuse perks. There’s Mexico, which would reportedly foot half of your hotel bill when you travel there.
And now, the Maldives has come up with a loyalty program that will actually reward you for visiting the island nation.
Travel Loyalty Program
According to a report by blogger Gilbert Ott, the South Asian country has announced plans for a program called ‘Maldives Border Miles’. A project by the Ministry of Tourism and Maldives’ immigration authority, the loyalty program is set to take effect on the first day of December.
According to its official website, the program would have three tiers of loyalty with the highest one being Abaarana (Gold) followed by Antara (Silver) and Aida (Bronze), where every tourist would start.
You can accumulate points to get you to the next tier by making trips to the Maldives. Each tier would have its own set of rewards and benefits, the details of which haven’t been made public yet.
Extra points would be awarded for visits made on ‘special occasions’ and longer stays.
Reopening the Maldives
According to Mohamed Ahmed Hussain, the Maldives’ Controller General of Immigration, tourists would be able to start their vacation as soon as they land on the island.
Travelers can also rest assured that the Velana International Airport, the Maldives’ main international airport, has received certification from the Airport Council International’s Health Accreditation.
The South Asian country reopened in July with the requirement that tourists present a negative COVID-19 test that was administered within 72 hours before they left their home country.
Vital Industry
Given the fact that the Maldives and its people heavily rely on tourism, it doesn’t come as a surprise that it is among the first countries to reopen itself to nonessential travelers.
Travel and tourism is one of the Maldives’ fastest-growing industries. As of 2019, there are reportedly 137 resorts, 526 guesthouses, and 12 hotels operating on the island with more expected to come.
European tourists comprise over half of the travelers recorded with the Chinese coming in second.
But despite its reputation as a popular destination for luxury travel, the Maldives remain to be among the poorest nations in the world.
