Cruise Ship Carries 28 Stranded Italians from Maldives Amid Regional Flight Disruptions

The cruise ship Costa Deliziosa departed from Malé last Wednesday evening after taking aboard 28 Italian nationals who had been stranded in Maldives due to disruptions to regional air travel, according to global cruise ship tracker, Cruise Mapper. 

According to information reported by Cruise Mapper, the vessel accepted the travellers after a request from the Italian Consulate in Malé.

The passengers had been stranded in the Maldives after scheduled commercial flights were unable to operate due to conditions affecting aviation across the region.

The captain of the ship confirmed that arrangements had been made to accommodate the travellers and allow them to depart the country by sea.

Passengers already onboard described the decision to take the stranded travellers as a humanitarian measure carried out in coordination with Italian diplomatic authorities, Cruise Mapper reported. 

The disruption to travel comes as tourism arrivals to the Maldives have declined sharply following escalating tensions in the Middle East.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, daily tourist arrivals have dropped by around 50 per cent after several major airports in the region temporarily closed following military strikes involving Israel and Iran. 

Data shared by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment shows that 8,929 tourists arrived in the Maldives on 28 February, followed by 6,440 arrivals on 1 March and 4,107 arrivals on 2 March. Arrivals saw a slight increase on 3 March but continued on a downward trend in the days that followed. According to the ministry’s daily tourism arrival figures, numbers rose marginally again yesterday, although they remain well below levels recorded before the escalation of the conflict.