Writer
Yumna Maumoon
Tourism reporter. Has visited more resorts than anyone ought to and lived to write about them.
Thursday, 30 July 2026
The Maldives becomes a destination inside a video game
Visit Maldives signs with Hey Travellers to build the islands into the Loopcraft platform.
LUX* South Ari Atoll lands in three categories at the T+L Asia Pacific awards
Families, pools and house reefs — reader votes place the 192-villa resort in the top ten of all three.
Visit Maldives claims 160 million impressions from a month-long push
The corporation's global digital campaign logged 22 million video views — and a 54 per cent lift in website sessions from targeted markets.
Tuesday, 28 July 2026
The half-year arrivals ledger: China and Russia up, everyone else down
1,044,667 tourists in six months, 5.7 per cent behind last year — with a 20 per cent Chinese surge, a European retreat, and a Middle East market that has fallen by more than a third.
Monday, 27 July 2026
beOnd reroutes its Europe network through the Red Sea for winter
The premium carrier will fly London, Paris, Zurich, Munich, Milan and Moscow one-stop via Saudi Arabia's Red Sea International from late 2026.
Thursday, 2 April 2026
Tourism falls twenty per cent year-on-year as war disrupts long-haul routes
The March print: a 20.7 per cent decline from March 2025, driven by cancellations through Dubai, Doha and Istanbul.
Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Niva Kurumba rebrand closes out the first-quarter transition
The portfolio adds its flagship on the last day of March.
Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Shangri-La Villingili to reopen in Addu Atoll this year
After nearly three years of closure, a flagship in the deep south returns.
Saturday, 7 March 2026
Half a million tourists before March closes, in spite of the war
502,252 arrivals by 4 March — the pace softens but does not break.
Monday, 2 March 2026
February is the best month ever for tourism, with 247,722 arrivals
A new all-time monthly record, posted before a shock that will reshape the quarter.
Saturday, 28 February 2026
Niva Kuramathi closes the rebranding month of February
A third property joins the portfolio on the last day of the month.
Thursday, 12 February 2026
Bvlgari Resort Ranfushi confirms 2026 opening on Raa Atoll
Fifty-four keys, including an exclusive Bvlgari Villa on its own island.
Monday, 9 February 2026
Qatar Airways resumes Doha–Malé flights after a brief pause
A return to daily frequency, though capacity remains below pre-war levels.
Tuesday, 3 February 2026
10,253 arrivals: a single-day record on 1 February
The country's busiest day in tourism history, recorded on a clear, dry Sunday.
Monday, 2 February 2026
January arrivals set a new record at 224,788, Tourism Ministry says
The year opens on its strongest footing in history — before the war in the Gulf reshapes the second quarter.
Thursday, 15 January 2026
Niva Velassaru and Niva Dhigali join the portfolio in a mid-January rebrand
A quiet weekend renaming brings two familiar South Male' properties under the same banner.
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Flights cancelled over the weekend as Middle East tensions escalate
Nine on Saturday, nineteen on Sunday; more than five thousand travellers affected.