The Maldives will introduce a new loyalty program for people who often travel to the island nation that is located in the Indian Ocean.
The country’s official Twitter page announced the plans for a three-level loyalty program called “Maldives Border Miles” on September 27. Tourists who join the program will receive points and move up the levels based on the number of visits they make and how long they stay, with extra points for visits on special occasions.
It has not been announced how the points will be used, but it is expected that industry partners like airports, shops and hotels will offer benefits.
The country’s Ministry of Tourism has said that the loyalty program will begin on December 1, and it expects the program to help bring tourists back to the country.
In 2018, data from the World Travel & Tourism Council showed that tourism was more important to the Maldives’ economy than to that of any other country. According to the tourism ministry, a record 1.7 million tourists traveled to the islands in 2019.
The country was hoping to welcome 2 million tourists in 2020, but had to close its borders in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, it was also one of the first countries to open its borders again, doing so on July 15.
There are about 557,000 people living on the islands. According to Worldometer, there have been over 10,000 cases of coronavirus there since the pandemic began, with more than 30 deaths.
