Visit Maldives together with the Ministry of Tourism launches "I'm Vaccinated" campaign in order to share a positive message regarding the vaccination of staff working in the tourism sector as well as promoting the initiatives undertaken to ensure the Maldives remains one of the safest destinations in the world for travelers.

Under this campaign, the ultimate target is to make Maldives the first fully vaccinated tourism sector in the world. Along with the unique geographical formation of the islands which offer natural physical distancing, and the stringent health and safety measures in place, a fully vaccinated tourism sector will become an added advantage in encouraging tourists to visit the destination.

The campaign was launched during a special press event held on 28th April 2021 organized by Visit Maldives and the Ministry of Tourism. The event was joined by the Minister of Tourism, Minister of State of the Ministry of Health, Secretary General of Guesthouse Association of Maldives and Vice Chairman of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry.

The event commenced with opening remarks by the Minister of Tourism Honorable Dr. Abdulla Mausoom. The Minister remarked upon the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry during 2020 and emphasized the immense sacrifice, effort and hardwork invested by the health industry, tourism industry, and all members of the Maldivian society. In addition, the Minister stated that being able to provide vaccination to members in the tourism industry was a huge accomplishment. The Minister officially initiated the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign followed by a short video showcasing the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ logo.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of State of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Shah Abdulla Mahir stated that over 65% of the eligible Maldivian population have received the vaccine and over 90% of the eligible tourism industry is vaccinated. The Minister of State of the Ministry of Health placed importance on practicing health and safety measures regardless of the vaccination and placed emphasis on the importance of achieving herd immunity. He thanked MMPRC and the Ministry of Tourism for launching the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign as the campaign will promote the vaccination drive and motivate facilities in the tourism industry to vaccinate their staff.

Afterwards, MMPRC presented the esteemed delegation with a special ‘I’m Vaccinated’ badge. The badge will be presented to members of the tourism industry who have received the prescribed dose(s) of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Following the launch of the program, The Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed stated that the purpose of the ‘I’m Vaccination’ campaign is to promote vaccination for all members in the tourism industry and for Maldives to have the first fully-vaccinated tourism industry in the world. The Managing DIrector of MMPRC also unveiled a microsite that will be launched under the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ Campaign and social media activities that will be initiated alongside. .

The microsite will display a counter displaying the number of tourist industry staff vaccination as well as information regarding registration for vaccination of employees and the latest HPA guidelines. Furthermore, the social media campaign component of the campaign will present images and videos of workers in the tourism industry with a pinned vaccination badge that will be presented to them by Visit Maldives once they receive the prescribed dose(s) of the COVID-19 vaccination. The social media campaign will further help advertise Maldives as a ‘safe haven’ destination across the globe.

Speaking at the conference, Secretary General of Guesthouse Association of Maldives, Saudhulla Ahmed Hassan Didi noted on the impact of COVID-19 on the guesthouse industry and island communities while Vice Chairman of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry, Mr. Salah Shihab recognized the sacrifice undertaken by members of the tourism industry as they had to stay apart from families during the pandemic, stating that the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign gives hope to workers across the industry.

The campaign will uplift the destination's beautiful name in the global market and reassure travelers that Maldives will further remain as one of the safest destinations to travel to during this unprecedented time. In addition, the campaign will also ensure travelers from all over the world of the immense effort and investment into ensuring the safety of both the local population and travelers.

On 1st February 2021, Maldives initiated the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the government aims to provide free COVID-19 vaccine to all citizens and residents of Maldives in the upcoming months. The initiation of the vaccination drive is bound to offer hope to the local population, as well as ensure the safety of tourists. This conveys the message that Maldives is a low-risk destination for travelers and will hopefully generate a surge in tourist arrival.