The Maldives, with 1582 tourists, recorded the highest ever single-day footfall last Sunday in the country since its reopening on 15 July this year, informed tourism minister, Abdullah Mausoom, in a tweet.

Congratulating the industry players and authorities, the minister said, “You made our October forecast of arrival a reality with over 21,000.” 

Between 15 July- 28 October, the Maldives received 37,468 tourists, with Russia and the United Arab Emirates contributed most. The country has set the target of around 1,00,000 visitors by the year-end.

A nearly four-month-long lockdown crippled the local economy of the Indian Ocean Archipelago, which mostly depends on its tourism industry for revenues. 

Abdullah Mausoom, who has been appointed as tourism minister in August this year, took on the challenge of reviving the country’s tourism industry. Soon after his appointment, Mausoom relaxed significant restrictions to boost tourists’ arrival in the country.

Earlier speaking to Aljazeera, Mausoom said, “The Maldives needs tourism. When tourism stops, everything stops.” The Maldives’ economy shrank by 50% due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

The country introduced a series of measures like introducing medical insurances for tourists, ramping up health infrastructure, and opening guesthouses in residential islands to revive the industry. Many airline carriers slowly started operations to, and from, the Maldives further giving a boost to the industry.