MALE, The Maldives 30 September 2020: Maldives Immigration launched a three-tiered loyalty programme titled ‘Maldives Border Miles’ to mark World Tourism Day on 27 September arguably the first of its kind worldwide.
First reported in the Edition, an online news channel in the Maldives, the three tiers bronze, silver and gold categories reward tourists with bonus points based on visits and duration of stay. The project gets underway in December and will incentivise wealthy travellers to return to the Maldives to enjoy benefits during future visits.
Initiated by Maldives Immigration, Maldives Border Miles was developed by the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
Minister of Tourism, Abdulla Mausoom stated: “The Maldives Border will increase the popularity of Maldives as a tourist destination and provide a path for more marketing and advertising opportunities.”
The Maldives closed its air and sea borders to tourists on 27 March and halted its visa-on-arrival concession until 15 July.
Even after reopening borders, the Maldives tourist arrivals reached just 13,516 until September. Overall, the Maldivian government estimates a shortfall of approximately USD450 million (MVR 6.9 billion) in foreign currency and a state deficit of MVR13 billion in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the tourism industry.
