What do you miss the most before this nightmarishly pandemic enveloped the world with fear? Many of you might say ‘traveling,’ an activity that was so easy to do pre-COVID-19 but now proves to be a terrifying task.
Adventurers have become nostalgic in recent months, holding on to the photos of their fun getaways. But apart from travel bugs, famous destinations greatly relying on tourism were hit hard, too, so most have thought of new ways to lure guests again.
Given the scare that the pandemic bestowed upon us, countries need to find strategies to invite guests again. No matter how people are itching to travel, many would still choose to wait until this mess is over.
The Maldives’ Effort
Despite the unconvinced, some destinations have announced creative tactics to attract tourists. The Maldives, which is a favorite spot of celebrities, has revealed its loyalty program called ‘Maldives Border Miles.’
Just like a rewards program in malls, The Maldives will give perks to those who will visit the South Asian island nation. This plan, which is set to start in December, has three tiers: bronze (Aida), silver (Antara), and gold (Abaarana).
Tourists will earn points for every visit to The Maldives, while on special occasions, they can get more. Guests can also earn more points for longer stays.
The accumulated points will provide tourists ‘privileges’ and ‘exclusive benefits,’ depending on the level they are in. As expected, as they reach higher tiers, the more benefits guests will be entitled to. However, those perks have yet to be announced.
Reopening to Tourists
The scenic island nation opened to tourists on July 15 but visitors must provide the negative result of their COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before their travel. Of late, the Velana International Airport has gotten the Health Accreditation certification from the Airport Council International.
Other Countries with Creative Strategies
The Maldives is hardly the first to think of clever ways to woo guests. Rihanna’s home country, Barbados, announced Barbados Welcome Stamp, which permits tourists to stay in the Caribbean country for a year and remotely work from there.
It’s a brilliant idea as it hits two birds with one stone – because of the pandemic, most people transitioned to a work-from-home set up, but they also want to travel. So the solution is to bring them to a destination and let them enjoy the picturesque place while they finish tasks.
Interested applicants need only send documents electronically. Meanwhile, some tourist destinations in Mexico are offering to pay half of your hotel bills during your visit to the country.