Maldives attracts over 3,000 foreign visitors since re-opening borders

Maldives has received over 3,000 foreign visitors since reopening its borders to foreign visitors last month, local media reported here Saturday.

According to Maldives Immigration, 3,054 foreigners visited the Maldives between July 15 and August 13, the majority of whom came from Britain and the United States.

The arrivals fall drastically short of the 10,595 visitor count projected by a study from the Maldives National University. The Maldives government hopes to attract a total of 850,000 tourists by the end of this year.

State media reported that flights to the Maldives have increased since July.

Maldives initially suspended issuing visas on-arrival, effectively closing its borders to foreign visitors, on March 27 as a precaution against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nearly four-month border closure crippled Maldives' tourism sector which contributes over a quarter of GDP and is a major source of employment and foreign exchanges.