Maldives is first country to offer loyalty program

In a bid to attract more tourists after the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on tourism and hospitality, Maldives has initiated its own hospitality loyalty program to reward frequent holidaymakers. In the process, it has become the first country in the world to do so.

Called the Maldives Border Miles Program, this initiative has three-tiers: Abaarana (Gold), Antara (Silver) and Aida (Bronze). These names are from Divehi, the primary local language of the nation. Abaarana is an honorific name given to monarchs, Antara means attractiveness and prestige while Aida means bright star in the sky.

Tourists will earn points on the basis of the number of visits they make to the island nation and duration of the stay. Also, they can earn additional points provided they visit the nation to celebrate special occasions.

The program is set to begin on 1st December this year.

In an announcement recently, Maldives Immigration, an official government-run Twitter account, said, “Maldives Border Miles is a three-tiered loyalty program for tourists. Tourists will earn points based on the number of visits and duration of stay. Additional points will be awarded for visits to celebrate special occasions.”

Once a tourists accumulate a specific number of points, privileges are rewarded with some wonderful benefits. And as tourists keep moving up the tiers, the privileges are enhanced, and the benefits are made exclusive.

Maldives’ economy is heavily dependent on tourism for and this sector accounts for about 66 per cent of its GDP. The island nation in the Indian Ocean saw a whopping 1.7 million tourist arrivals in 2019.

Do you believe this initiative will lure tourists into visiting Maldives? Let us know your views in the comments section below.