An aerial view of Bandos Island Resort, one of the first to open in the Maldives 50 years ago, when the Indian Ocean island nation was a novel travel destination few had heard of. Photo: Getty Images
Opinion
Opinion
Destinations known
50 years of tourism in the Maldives and, remarkably, it’s still the ‘ultimate island paradise’ early visitors found
- An early visitor found the Indian Ocean islands laid back and waxed lyrical about the low cost of living, happy and devout people, and lack of visa requirements
- Only when the Hilton arrived in 1997 did other international brands begin claiming islands for their own resorts, which continue to proliferate today
An aerial view of Bandos Island Resort, one of the first to open in the Maldives 50 years ago, when the Indian Ocean island nation was a novel travel destination few had heard of. Photo: Getty Images
