Tourism activities in the Maldives have witnessed a good recovery in recent months as around 249 tourism facilities are currently active, and the country reported a total of 5,91,056 tourist footfall since it reopened in July, Sun news reported. 

Citing the data from the Tourism Ministry, Sun reported, there are a total 33,776  operational beds in the country’s 125 resorts, 189 guesthouses, and hotels, including 122 safaris. The ministry is expecting to add another 914 beds in the coming weeks as more guesthouses plan to start operations. 

Russian topped the number of tourists with around 12,000 coming from the country followed by India and the UK. The popularity of the Maldives as a tourist destination has grown among Russian tourists, especially after the lockdown. 

The revival of tourism is crucial for the Maldives economy which relies heavily on the sector for revenues. Several industry players last week also asked the government to increase the state promotional budget for the sector. 

The Maldives economy suffered a heavy blow when countries around the world announced the global lockdown, bring the tourism industry in the country to a complete halt. The recently released budget of the Maldives projects a huge 50 percent fiscal deficit for 2021.