Tourist Arrivals from India Grew by 445% in November 2020

Tourist arrivals from India to the Maldives grew by a staggering 445% in November 2020. Travelling between the Maldives and India is easier thanks to the ‘Air Bubble’ between the two countries.

According to the statistics from Maldives Immigration, a total of 7,610 tourists arrived from India to the Maldives in November 2020. GoAir, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India are currently operating flights to the Maldives from India. The close distance between neighbouring India makes connections between the two nations easier as well.

In 2019, the Indian tourist source market ranked second among the best performing tourist markets. Likewise, arrivals from India grew by a whopping 83.5% in 2019 compared to 2018. Meanwhile, 2018 saw 90,474 tourist arrivals from India to the Maldives. In addition to that, in 2019, a total of 166,015 tourists from India visited the Maldives.

GoAir flight parked at Velana International Airport
*Image: Velana International Airport via Twitter*

After the Maldives reopened its borders, influential celebrities from India flocked to the Maldives to spend their getaway. In November 2020, Bollywood celebrities including Tiger Shroff, Vedhika, Dheeraj Dhoopar, Katrina Kaif, Shanvi Srivastava and many more Indian celebrities have visited the Maldives.

Also read: Maldives Records 35,759 Tourist Arrivals in November 2020

The pictures of the Indian celebrities holidaying in the Maldives sparked heat on social media. Users on Twitter describe the Maldives as ‘The new Mumbai’ and ‘Goa for rich people’. On the other hand, the stunning pictures of these celebrities holidaying in the Maldives made everyone yearn for a vacation.

See the full list of Indian celebrities that visited the Maldives after lockdown HERE

To visit the Maldives, travellers need PCR test taken 96 hours before their arrival in the country. Resorts in the Maldives offer exit PCR-screening for guests without having to travel out of the resort. And meanwhile, some resorts offer PCR tests free-of-charge.

Feature image by Velana International Airport

Although we do not expect heroic stories to come out of a vacation at a Maldives resort, recent incidents have shown that anything can happen. Yes, even when you’re on vacation. The heroic stories of two couples, Mr. Jordan Daniel Van Dyk and Ms. Denielle De Bruyn have started circulating across the Maldives. The couple came to the Maldives for their honeymoon at the beautiful Dusit Thani Maldives. However, it appears that the honeymooners are leaving the Maldives with more than just honeymoon memories.

According to the Baa Atoll Police Station, on the 28th of April, the couple witnessed a staff member falling from a water villa deck into the ocean while on duty. If you’re ever stayed at a Maldives resort, you can understand the fear of falling from the deck into the ocean. Although the water below is beautiful, when caught off guard, the ocean can be a scary place. It appeared that the staff member was in a state of distress and was struggling in the water. In these situations, people do one of two things. Wait for someone else to take action as they stand by, or immediately jump in to avoid a sad situation.

Despite the challenging circumstances, Mr. Van Dyk and Ms. De Bruyn acted swiftly and courageously, coming to the aid of the drowning staff member. There is no doubt that this swift response by the couple was heroic, averting what could have been a tragic event at Dusit Thani Maldives.

Dusit Thani Maldives has acknowledged the bravery and swift action of the honeymooning couple, awarding them for their bravery in saving the staff member of the resort.

Tourist Arrivals from India Grew by 445% in November 2020

Also read: Maldives Records 35,759 Tourist Arrivals in November 2020

Feature image by Velana International Airport

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