Maldives hailed as most Instagrammable destination

Maldives was declared as the most Instagrammed tourist destination by My Baggage.

As per an analysis done by mybaggage.com, Maldives came first and was closely followed by Eiffel Tower and Times Square.

The research done by My Baggage shows that pictures of Maldives were shared on Instagram more than any other tourist destination or landmark in the world.

The team at My Baggage noted the increase in social media and digital media usage over the past year amidst the global pandemic COVID-19. They stated that “2020 has truly been a digital year as accessibility has improved and our desired holiday destination is just a click away”.

This increase in social media usage and the notable popularity of instagram inspired the team to analyze which tourist destinations were the most popular on Instagram. They used various hashtags used for destinations to collect data.

While over 95 million photos uploaded on Instagram on a daily basis, currently 8.8 million hashtags and images were uploaded of Maldives.

Close behind was France’s Eiffel Tower, with 6.5 million photos shared on the attraction’s hashtag, followed by Times Square in New York with 4.4 million images.

Like many other countries around the world, with the local emergence of COVID-19 infections, Maldives closed its borders in March 2020, effectively bringing the tourism industry to a standstill.

However, after reopening borders on July 15, 2020, the island nation managed to attract 172, 366 tourists before 2020 drew to an end.

With limited options available for holidaying as the pandemic rages on, Maldives has become the destination of choice for many, including influencers, due to the country's naturally distanced geography.

Visitors are granted a 30-day free on-arrival visa with a confirmed booking for a stay at any registered tourist facility within the country. While tourists are not required to quarantine or test on arrival, they are required to complete an online health declaration form within 24 prior to departure and produce a negative PCR test conducted at least 96 hours prior to their departure.

Maldives is gaining recognition in the efforts to make the island nation a safe destination for travelers. Maldives received the “Safe Travels Stamp” by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in recognition of the efforts to implement enhanced health and safety measures, in line with the WTTC global Safe Travels protocols.