Following the reopening of Maldivian borders to international visitors on 15 July 2020, Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) has announced that 146 of its 156 resorts in operation will reopen to guests by the end of October 2020 following health and safety measures set out by the Ministry of Tourism.

An impressive 43 resorts have already opened in the Maldives, including Kudafushi Resort & Spa, Lily Beach Maldives, LUX North Male Atoll, OBLU by Atmosphere, Soneva Fushi, Angsana Resort & Spa, VARU by Atmosphere, Jumeirah Vittaveli, Velaa Private Island and both properties owned by Four Seasons.

In August, a further 28 resorts will open their doors to the public, including Joali Maldives, all four properties in Coco Collection and Centara’s Maldivian portfolio of resorts, as well as the recently launched Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa all of which reopened on 1 August.

Budget-friendly guesthouses situated on local inhabited islands in the Maldives are also permitted to open to guests as of 1 August 2020. During September, 29 Maldivian resorts will safely welcome back tourists, including Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa, four of Aitken Spence Hotels’ Maldivian properties and The Nautilus.

An additional 46 resorts will open in October, including Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort, Reethi Faru Resort and Niyama Private Islands Maldives. This will mean 94% of resorts in the Maldives will be open for business ahead of the key ‘winter sun’ travel months when many UK holidaymakers traditionally escape to warmer climates.

In line with the comprehensive COVID-19 safe tourism guidelines and hygiene certification programme issued by the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism in June 2020, all 156 resorts situated in the island nation will be required to take protective measures, ensuring the safety of tourists and also staff working in the industry.

Thoyyib Mohamed, managing director of Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC), said: “Following the issue of detailed COVID-19 safe tourism guidelines and the reopening of our international borders on 15 July, the Maldives is now fully prepared to welcome back tourists to our island nation, with safety being the destinations’ top priority. Over 40 resorts in the Maldives are already open to guests and a further 103 will reopen before the month of November, so we look forward to welcoming back UK holidaymakers to our beautiful islands.”