Maldives bans Indian tourists amid a relentless second Covid-19 wave

Maldives, which attracted droves of Indian tourists in the last few months, has shut its borders to India.

The Health Protection Agency of Maldives tweeted on Tuesday that starting 13th May tourist visas for visitors from South Asian countries will be temporarily halted.

The safety measure has been put in place in view of second wave of pandemic in India and rise in cases in other countries in the region. A curfew too has been imposed in parts of Maldives and congregational prayers in mosques have been temporarily stopped.

The island nation has been a major attraction for celebrities and commoners alike from India and was among the very few destinations that was open to Indian tourists.

India has been the second largest source market for Maldives this year accounting for 21 per cent of all arrivals. The islands have received over 400,000 tourists since start of January. Russia has been the biggest source market followed by India, Ukraine, Germany and Kazakhstan.

Last month the Maldives government imposed curbs on Indian visitors by banning their entry on populated islands. However Indians could still visit the resorts. The second wave of pandemic however led to drop of traffic from India resulting in flight cancellations by Indian carriers.