Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed has stated over 5,500 bookings have been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Speaking in a press briefing held to deliver information regarding measures taken by the government against coronavirus, Tourism Minister Ali Waheed said the cancellations have doubled now. Citing reports, the minister said so far 5,556 bookings have been cancelled, including 3,693 from China, 397 from Italy, 187 from Germany and 163 from UK.
Furthermore, the tourism minister expressed the national carrier, Maldivian, alone had 954 bookings of Chinese tourists for the first two weeks of February cancelled. He said the decision was crucial to ensure the safety of the citizens and tourists.
Moreover, the tourism minister said easier arrangements are being provided for tourists currently in Maldives seeking to return to their countries.