Destinations known | The Maldives reopens on July 15, but can it tempt travellers back?

The coronavirus pandemic has given us much to consider – about humanity’s impact on the natural world, how we connect in a physically distanced digital-led landscape, and whether wearing a face mask is an expression of civic responsibility. It has also led to a new lexicon, some of which is decidedly cringey. Enter the “safecation”.

According to United States-based online travel agency Travelocity, a safecation is “a mini getaway to destinations that are cleared for safe travel during this time”. In the running for Asia’s most accessible safe­cation destination is the Maldives. While not exactly a “mini getaway” spot, it is forging ahead with a July 15 reopening, having reported eight deaths from Covid-19.

On that date, travel restrictions will be lifted and tourists entering the island nation will be given a 30-day visa on arrival. Resorts, liveaboard vessels and hotels on otherwise uninhabited islands will start welcoming guests, with establishments on inhabited islands opening from August 1.

No proof of having tested negative for the virus or any other medical records are expected on arrival, but anyone showing symptoms of Covid-19 will be asked to take – and pay for – a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Perhaps most enticingly, there will be no quarantine period once in the country. However, visitors will be required to spend the duration of their stay at the same property, which, for those accustomed to itinerant adventures, could sound like quarantine, albeit one spent in superlative comfort.

Regardless, the Maldives’ “new normal” entry requirements (aka, none really) are some of the easiest to understand and will require minimum effort. The simplicity smacks somewhat of desperation, which makes sense, given that tourism is the nation’s largest industry, directly and indirectly accounting for two-thirds of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the World Bank.