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VIA experiences busiest period as holiday season hits peak

Ahmed Aiham
02 January 2019, MVT 14:08
Tourists at the Velana International Airport ferry terminal. PHOTO: HUSSAIN WAHEED/MIHAARU
Ahmed Aiham
02 January 2019, MVT 14:08

Velana International Airport reported its busiest period following the start of the Christmas and New Year holiday season in late December.

According to local media Mihaaru, there were instances of flights being delayed authorization to touchdown due to overloading of the runway. Additionally, many guesthouses and resorts are now booked to full-occupancy.

As per the General Manager of Villa Hotels and Resorts, Gaisar Naseem, all of the resorts under the group are full.

Gaisar noted an increase of occupancy rates compared to the same period last year, adding that the resorts are fully booked up until the first week of January.

Moreover, he shared that the inflow of tourists has picked up since the dip in the tourism sector due to the nationwide state of emergency declared by former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom in February last year.

There were 1.3 million recorded tourist visitors by the end of November 2018.

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