The Maldives – The Place to be Post COVID19!

Last four to five months have been quite a challenging period for us in the hospitality industry. Almost all the resorts and hotels were closed due to COVID19. This was something we were never ready and did not anticipate striking us in this form. Five months passed, and 71 resorts have re-opened with stringent hygiene and safety measures in place. Almost all the resort will be re-opened by October 2020. The Maldives as a destination was always known for its impeccable delivery of service and world-class products. Apart from a very competitive offering to all types of travellers, we were known as the destination that delivers the highest value and experience.

As resorts get ready to re-open and welcome back travellers to the Maldives, it is impressive to note the level of details enforced by resort operations for the safety, peace and confidence of their guests and employees. Post pandemic, it is known travellers will value wellness and wellbeing, additional sanitization, and hygiene measures with an attention to detail, flawless service with minimal contacts with employees and most importantly privacy and physical distancing. The way resorts are built and configured in the Maldives already provides and place resorts as the safest destination to travel and stay. Physical distancing itself will not be a challenge as this is a default-setting factor in one-island one-resort concepts. What is important to notice here is the enhanced additional hygiene measures in response to this pandemic and the efforts by property employees to ensure their guests are well looked after from the moment of arrival to departure.

Almost all resorts have engaged themselves in a specific “CARE” Program relevant to their brand, focusing on additional care, compassion, and service excellence elements in all guest experiences. More and more outdoor activities will become the norm in resort settings. We have observed that many resorts have curated specific healthy menus for their guests to enforce wellness and healthy eating habits during their stay. There is no doubt that resorts in the Maldives will perform and deliver a world-class experience post-pandemic, and this is the destination that everyone should travel. We need everyone's support to visit the Maldives to help us to bring back the economy to a good stand. This will help us to strengthen the livelihoods of everyone across the nation. If one looks at the TripAdvisor reviews from several guests who have been to the Maldives since 15th July 2020 (border re-opened date), we see many positive reviews which show the Maldives can do this and will step up to the challenges and deliver the best possible service, product with a prime focus on the wellbeing of each traveller. So, read the reviews, plan your travel, and visit the Maldives – the place to be post COVID19.

Note: The above is an edited version of a write up I did for a fortnightly brief by the Maldives High Commission in the UK.