Maldives courts long-stays
The Maldives introduced remote-worker and content-creator visas to blunt a drop in arrivals tied to the Middle East conflict and lure long-stay digital nomads. (Officials hope the new visas and long-stay push will broaden arrivals beyond short-term holiday traffic from markets like the UK, Germany, China and India.) (travelandtourworld.com) (travelandtourworld.com)
Tourism Minister Thoriq Ibrahim made the announcement at a cabinet committee press conference set up to tackle travel disruptions caused by the regional war. (edition.mv) Government figures cited a roughly 21% drop in tourist arrivals since the start of the month, a decline staff attributed to Middle East airspace closures and rerouted schedules. (plus.mv) Under the existing regime most visitors get a 30‑day visa on arrival that can be extended to 90 days through formal application, and officials say they plan to simplify extension procedures alongside new longer‑stay categories. (hoteliermaldives.com) The tourism ministry argues longer‑stay travellers would raise occupancy at guesthouses and smaller island properties rather than only feeding short luxury resort bookings, a point ministers highlighted when discussing the measures. (edition.mv) Maldives Airports Company Limited recorded 128 private jets touching down between Feb. 28 and Mar. 14 — a 166% increase on the same period last year — a surge Visit Maldives says is partially offsetting scheduled‑carrier disruptions. (corporate.visitmaldives.com) The push for longer stays comes as the Maldives marked roughly two million tourist arrivals in 2024 and had previously set an ambitious growth target of about 15% for 2025, underscoring government efforts to broaden and stabilise its visitor base. (traveltrademaldives.com, corporatemaldives.com)
