French couple Mr and Mrs Knittel cannot get enough of Maldives, arriving for the 63rd time yesterday. 

The couple embarked on their first adventure to Maldives over 30 years ago in 1991 and have not grown tired of the destination since.  

As a celebration of the couples 63rd trip to Maldives, the Border Miles team and Coco Resorts held a special ceremony for the couple yesterday at Velana International Airport. The couple will be staying at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu and this will be their 3rd time visiting the resort. Ms. Juweriya from Coco Collection welcomed the guests inside the terminal with flowers followed by a photo session. The ceremony was joined by a special guest Deputy Minister of Tourism Ahmed Athif. 

Mrs Knittel  remarked on the hospitality, kindness and generosity of the Maldivian people in addition to the breathtaking beauty of the country itself. She said she has also made several friends in Maldives throughout her trips.

During the celebration, the Deputy Minister of Tourism awarded the ‘Antara’ tier card of the Border Miles Programme to the Knittels, followed by gifts from the Coco Collection  and Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA). 

The Ministry of Tourism aims to promote repeat tourism and sustain the love and adoration tourists have for Maldives. The Border Miles programme is one of the main initiatives in encouraging repeat tourism and increasing tourist arrival numbers to pre-pandemic levels. The loyalty programme enables registered visitors to earn points by travelling to Maldives. Points are allocated to tourists under a criteria which includes the duration of their stay, frequency of travel, visits to celebrate special occasions and visits on Maldivian celebrations. 

Deputy Tourism Minister Athif stated that tourists return to the Maldives because of the peace and serenity the Maldives provides. He emphasized the importance of promoting repeat tourists as part of the many initiatives to increase tourist arrival numbers to pre-pandemic levels.