Maldives set to become world's first country to offer a traveler loyalty program
The Maldives Border Miles program will reportedly have three tiers: Abaarana (Gold), Antara (Silver) and Aida (Bronze). The three names all come from Dhivehi, the Indian Ocean nation's primary local language.
But how will travelers respond to this first-of-its-kind initiative? Some of that will depend on how global travel looks after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Maldives, whose economy is heavily dependent on the tourism and hospitality industries, was one of the first countries in Asia to reopen its borders. Visitors began slowly returning in July.
Maldives Immigration, an official government-run Twitter account, made an announcement on September 28: "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."
It is planned that this program will be implemented in December 2020. Although it is not yet clear what kinds of perks travelers in these three categories will get and how the points will be accumulated.
As a luxury destination, Maldives hotel rates can be pricey, but a points system could potentially balance out some of these costs with upgrades and freebies.
Maldives is not alone on the list of destinations who have had to get creative following the global coronavirus crisis.
REFENCES
CNN news. (2020, October 5). CNN news. From https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/maldives-travel-loyalty-program-intl-hnk/index.html
