As the year-end approaches, the tourist arrival in the Maldives saw a dramatic rise in December The total footfall in the month already crossed 90,000, Sun news reported. 

After being hit by the pandemic, the government set a target of 100,000 tourists for the remaining of 2020 in July. Now data shows, with over 166,000 tourists since July, the archipelago has gone far beyond the target. In 2020, the country recorded a total of 549,606 arrivals. Russian remained the top market, followed by India, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany.

Covid-19 pandemic affected the Maldives, a tourism-dependent economy, most. Its economy saw the biggest slump among its South Asian counterparts. Consequently, Fitch Ratings downgraded its rating for the country to "CCC" from earlier "B". The precarious economic situation also multiplied its rising debt problem. 

In August, Abdullah Masoom took charge of the tourism ministry. Masoom, an industry veteran, introduced a slew of reforms, signed air bubble agreements with major markets, and launched an aggressive promotional campaign to make the country an attractive and safe tourism destination amid the global pandemic.   

Currently, 528 tourists facilities- including resorts, hotels, liveaboards, and guesthouses are operational in the country. Since its reopening in July, the government opened the industry in a phased manner.