Lithuanians who yearn for sun-swept trips to the Maldives: They attract not only a safe rest, but also greatly reduced prices

After reviewing the offers of the tour operators, it seems that this year the most popular are the exotic destinations. According to the organizers, Lithuanians are quite active in exploring hot regions, with many not taking the planned trips this year.

“The lack of sun, gray skies and 2 degrees of heat make people think about how to escape where the sun is shining and at least treat themselves. Maldives is one of the suggested destinations, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Zanzibar, perhaps a bit more strict selection in the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, travelers look at all directions that are only possible, safe and with fewer requirements for visitors, ”says Laura Šepetienė, Product Manager at West Express, and reminds us that when choosing a trip, it is important to consider all the requirements in advance and follow the information before the trip. Possible changes.

“Depending on the country, travelers must have a negative COVID-19 test. Generally, it should be done between 72 and 96 hours. before departure. A special form on health is also completed, which provides the QR code required to enter the country. Travelers are more concerned with the question: what will happen if the test is positive. We found that people are more afraid not of getting infected, but of losing money for future travel. Still, here are solutions. Many service providers adapt and offer a variety of additional services, easier travel, date change options. Tourism is the area that has suffered the strongest pandemic, but that is why it has adapted more to it, ”says L. Šepetienė.

The interlocutor states that she noticed the growing interest of Lithuanians for holidays in the Maldives, according to her, not only the guaranteed good weather, but also the reduced prices. “Tourism in all countries has been hit hard by the pandemic, with many hotels slashing prices to survive. The Maldives is no exception: prices have really come down. Plus, it’s now possible to relax in more space in almost all of them. parts, as there are far fewer travelers. There are no crowds at the places to visit. Another trend we notice is booking trips for the next summer, fall, or even winter. Prices are likely to rise sharply after the pandemic ends. an offer now at a very good price, it may be worth buying, especially since you don’t have to pay much in advance, usually between 20 and 50 euros per person, ”said the representative of the tour operator.

Rimvydas Širvinskas-Makaliai, who is currently on vacation in the Maldives, can be called one of the culprits that has led to the growing popularity of this direction. The photos and videos of travelers from the exotic land have seduced several travelers, and the first travel packages on the businessman’s website were swept up in an instant.

“When I started sharing views from the beaches and cabins on the water, many wondered, ‘Is this possible right now? “We took travelers to the Maldives for five years, an interest the country has always had, but never lost sight of being redeemed so suddenly. places. Apparently extremely limited travel options have a big impact on this. When you see that it is possible to vacation safely and without hurting anyone at the moment, plan to fly somewhere yourself. I interacted with various hotels, prepared an offer, and invited Lithuanians to come here. New orders come in every day from couples, families and single travelers, ”said R. Širvinskas happily.

The tour operator notes that many more questions arise during this period when considering any trip than before. Maldives is no exception. According to him, a safe vacation without mandatory self-isolation, both on departure and return, is now really possible, and airlines, as tourism resumes, are trying to offer increasingly convenient flights in destinations they can travel to. R. Širvinskas presented a detailed memorandum to those who want to travel to this country independently or with a tour operator:

“Maldives opened its borders to private islands in mid-summer, and in mid-October to those staying in hotels and guest houses on local islands. There are 96 hours or less before reaching the paradise of the Maldives, it must be done a COVID-19 PCR test (its price is around 75 Eur in private clinics and laboratories). You must have a certificate in English with you, it will be verified both in Lithuania, when making the transfer and when you arrive in the Maldives. One day or least before the flight, you need to fill out the form to get to the Maldives online, where you will need to submit a negative test answer and your photo, write more information about yourself, your resting place in the country. After completing, you will receive a code QR, which you will need to provide at the border. It is true that the code was not requested when I arrived. In order not to have to isolate yourself when returning to Lithuania, it is necessary to carry out a repeated COVID-19 test. It can be done while you are searching you enter the Maldives or you can arrange a visit to the laboratory in advance the day after your arrival, in which case you will only need to be isolated until you get a negative result (approximately 24 hours). “

According to the interviewee, the key question for travelers at the moment is “what if …?”

“There are four COVID-19 clinics in the Maldives, as well as a 24-hour helpline. Each private island has its own local doctor, and the local island of Maafushi, where I am, also has a fever clinic (although A total of 5 cases of COVID have been registered on the island, it is quite touristy.) The main hospital is located in the capital Malé, where it is also equipped with lung ventilators.

The vast majority of new COVID cases in the Maldives are recorded in the capital Malé, tourists are unable to enter, and locals are currently unable to leave without mandatory self-isolation, so knowing that all tourists come here with a negative response Upon testing, the chances of getting infected should be incredibly low. stay anywhere in the world, ”Delfi said, ensuring that airlines, hotels and tour operators offer very flexible travel arrangements, so you can change your travel date for free if you know the COVID response before leaving.

“When planning a trip on my own, I recommend buying airline tickets with the most flexible flight change policy possible, for example Turkish airlines and Lufthansa offer very flexible conditions, and hotel reservations can be made free of charge at least 24 hours before arrival. In this case, in the event of an unforeseen situation, you will avoid losses “, warned the traveler.

True, Lithuanians are attracted not only to safe rest, but also to the quite low prices. According to R. Širvinskas, an independent trip to the Maldives currently costs up to 1000 euros. The price includes weekly accommodation on a local island, flights and transfers. When choosing a vacation with a travel guide, the price is from 1100 to 1200 euros. The most expensive, up to 1500 euros, will be spent on a vacation on a private island with an all-inclusive package.

“The first impression when I arrived in the Maldives this year was the incredibly low number of tourists and the significantly reduced prices to rest in the country. And while flights are quite expensive right now due to a small selection, the total cost of travel is still lower than before the pandemic. Some people say that empty islands are a disadvantage rather than an advantage, but I do not agree with them. Of course, it is sad that tourism has been greatly affected and everyone in the sector is suffering huge losses, but from a tourism perspective, now you can live a complete vacation idyll and spend time alone on the beaches. With a good deal, it is really possible to vacation much cheaper, even in a cabin on the water, which used to be unaffordable. It is true that extremely good price offers are advertised here less than a day before the expected arrival, so if you have the dream of living cheaply in a water lodge, I invite you to stay on the local island and look for offers of last minute together to get new impressions. You can do that and booking.com platform “.

A Lithuanian who was visiting the Maldives for several weeks said the rest had changed a bit, but saw more pros than cons.

“This is probably my 10th visit to the Maldives, but I’m only coming here for the third time on vacation, so I can see the difference now. I feel better and safer in the Maldives now than I do in Lithuania.” I live here on the local island of Maafushi. It is very simple and different from that Maldivian idyll in the photos, but it has a beach for tourists, here I can observe the real life of the locals and travel to the surrounding islands. The downside: the choice of such islands is currently reduced due to calls visits to islands the way to travel (visiting several different islands in one trip) is more complicated than before, because every time you need to move you need to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Tourism, which I waited two days for.

If you are on vacation on a local island, not all tours are currently possible, but when you come here for a week, the action will surely suffice. Some islands have made the decision not to accept same-day travelers, so the choice is only slightly less than before.

When traveling to a private island, each hotel sets its own rules for wearing masks. When going to the local island, tourists should wear masks in public places except on the beach, cafes and restaurants. It is true that the prices in cafes have dropped significantly and they have not been adapted to tourists, but to local habits and preferences, and I am quite interested in trying it for myself.

So the main difference is the number of people. Although I myself am a tourism agent and my business has been greatly affected by the pandemic, I am also a traveler who cannot enjoy spending days on the beaches alone or with a few tourists who have come and escaped the noise. Most of the tourists have been here for a long time, every three months, ”said R. Širvinskas-Makalius, who is on vacation on the island of Maldives.