Maldives First to Emerge from COVID Tourist Slump — Russian Tourists Crucial

Maldives has had an unexpected edge in its competition with fellow Asian tourist destinations, and unfortunately, it is partially due to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. Due to the blacklisting of Russian travellers, their options have become severely limited.

Of the whopping 523,000 visitors to the island this quarter, 65,060 were Russians, almost twice that of Russian visits pre-COVID. This was a welcome boost and has been so ever since the island went against global trends to keep its airports open in 2021; this was especially beneficial for tourism as well as hospitality brands which offer a Maldives resort. Rooms and suites at private island properties such as Hard Rock Hotel Maldives continue to see an influx of bookings as travellers from across the globe visit and boost the local tourism industry following the pandemic.