Can't get vaccinated in South Africa? You can now “visit, vaccinate, and vacation" during your next Maldives trip.
Known for its idyllic white-sand beaches and luxury lodges, the Maldives has become a firm favourite for South African travellers.
With it being one of the few countries open for travel to South Africans, Maldives will offer visitors vaccinations on arrival as part of its “3V” strategy that aims to lure travellers to “visit, vaccinate, and vacation."
Speaking to CNBC, Minister of Tourism for the Maldives, Abdulla Mausoom, said that the aim was to "get the people who love Maldives back to Maldives".
While he didn't say when the strategy will come into effect, he said the government would ensure that all locals had their dose of vaccines before opening the process to new arrivals.
He said: "The timeline depends on the supply (of vaccinations). There is a short supply everywhere, in terms of vaccines. Once the population has got the vaccine, we will move on to 3V. The 3V is just an additional promotion we are giving to tourists."
When asked about the vaccine supply, he said that the country has received "very good donations" from India, China, and the World Health Organization’s Covax programme.
"We have enough supply for the resident population. We placed some orders from Singapore as well. Once the stocks are here, we will have enough.
"I don’t think supply’s a problem in Maldives because our population is relatively small. The quota we get from the various organizations and friendly nations also will help," he told.
Travel from South Africa to Maldives
Currently, South African travellers will need to display a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken 96 hours before departure.
Passengers could be subject to medical screening. Under health requirements, all travellers travelling to and from Maldives are required to submit a self-declarative health declaration within 24 hours before their travel.
According to Cheapflights, a flight to the Maldives from Johannesburg can cost anything from R11K to 16K.