Over 2,000 bookings cancelled amid novel coronavirus outbreak

Maldivian Tourism Minister Ali Waheed, on Tuesday, announced that the novel coronavirus outbreak which appears to have originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan and has since spread across mainland China and abroad, had resulted in cancellation of over 2,000 tourist bookings in Maldives.

Speaking to press from the President’s Office, Ali Waheed said the biggest impact of the coronavirus outbreak had been felt by the tourism sector – the driving force of the Maldivian economy.

2,083 bookings had been cancelled as of Tuesday evening, said Ali Waheed.

According to him, 1,466 of the total cancellations – constituting a significant 73.3 percent of the total cancellations - had been from China – the top source of tourist arrivals to Maldives.

248,029 tourist arrivals had been recorded from China in 2019, meaning Maldives saw an influx of an average of 670 Chinese tourists per day. The cancellations due to the outbreak comes in the middle of the Chinese New Year, which usually results in an increase in Chinese tourist arrivals.

Ali Waheed said the Tourism Ministry had set up a dedicated taskforce to conduct situational assessments and compile reports in immediate response to reports of the outbreak. The taskforce had also assessed the potential impact the outbreak could have on the Maldivian economy and shared its findings with the President’s Office.

“The assurance I want to provide is that this administration is ready to implement necessary measures in response to the coronavirus, even in the worst case scenario, under the President’s direct supervision and instructions. This administration provides assurance we will take necessary action depending on how the situation changes,” he said.

Addressing the concerns of the Maldivian people in response to the outbreak, Ali Waheed said that Maldives was implementing measures under the direct guidance of World Health Organization (WHO).

He noted that measures had already been set up at Velana International Airport to screen incoming tourists for symptoms of the novel coronavirus, and that the authorities had established and shared protocols for dealing with suspected cases in resorts and other tourist properties.

The Maldivian administration has been hit with criticism over its decision not to cancel on arrival visas to Chinese tourists unlike many other countries.

In response to questions by reporters regarding this decision, Ali Waheed maintained that the Maldivian administration had implemented necessary measures in response to the current situation as advices by health experts.

He said the Maldivian administration would not hesitate to implement all necessary measures to protect its citizens.

“We will not hide anything. We have implemented measures to protect tourists as well. We have briefed relevant parties regarding this. All measures necessary in response to the current situation have been implemented,” he said.

Ali Waheed said the President was scheduled for discussions with tourist stakeholders regarding the potential impact of the outbreak on the tourist sector on Wednesday.

He said the Maldivian administration was committed to doing everything in its power to minimize the economic impact, but that the safety of the Maldivian people remained its top priority.

“We have already implemented measures in accordance with WHO standards, in accordance with its instructions and the instructions of experts. We have not declined to implement any measures necessary in response to the current situation,” said Ali Waheed. “The safety of the people remains the administration’s top priority in this situation. The economy comes after this. The administration will take all necessary action in response to the evolving situation.”