Maldives to offer COVID-19 vaccines to yacht charter guests

By Mairead Finlay 20 April 2021

If you are dreaming of your next Indian Ocean yacht charter, the Maldives has just announced that it will soon be offering coronavirus vaccines to tourists.

The Maldivian Tourism Minister, Abdulla Maussoom told CNBC that this is part of the South Asian nation's ‘3V’ tourism campaign, which stands for ‘Visit, Vaccinate, Vacation,’ with the aim of jumpstarting travel interest in the area once again. A goal of 1.5 million tourist arrivals to the Maldives has been set for 2021. As of mid-April, 350,000 have already visited.

The Maldives tourism sector is the largest contributor to its economy, accounts for almost 28 percent of its GDP. The pandemic saw visitor numbers drop dramatically last year: 550,000 travelers visited in 2020, compared to the 1.7 million who visited the island in 2019.

When will yacht charter guests be offered vaccines?

The island, which is already open to fully vaccinated US travelers and those with negative coronavirus PCR tests (plus no quarantine period) plans to start offering the vaccine to tourists once the entire population (530,000) has been vaccinated.

Yacht charters in the Maldives

Home to some of the most spectacular diving sites in the world, coupled with a multitude of achingly pretty anchorages, the 26 major atolls that make up the Maldives make for a fabulous yacht charter vacation. Lap up the slower rhythm of daily life and marvel at the untouched beauty that surrounds you.

To find out more about the Maldives, take a look at our Maldives yacht charter guide.

To book your next charter to this Indian Ocean destination, please get in touch with your chosen yacht charter broker.