Calendar 2022

HELLO 2022!

Celebrating THE GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR OF MALDIVES TOURISM.

50 YEARS OF GROWTH AND INNOVATION

January

1972 - When the first tourists arrived in the Maldives telecommunication services were basic, with ham radio and morse code as the only mode of international communications.

February

1977 - With 11 resorts now open, the number of tourist beds crossed 1000. In the same year Cable & Wireless began operations in the Maldives introducing international telephone connectivity with the rest of the world.

March

1981 - The first direct charter flight from Europe landed in the Maldives opening direct routes for tourists from Europe. For the next thirty years European markets dominated Maldivian tourism.

April

1988 - Tourist arrivals surpassed 150,000. The incorporation of Dhiraagu in the same year laid the foundation for the rapid growth of telecommunication services that would support the expansion of tourism in the Maldives.

May

1994 - The introduction of seaplane transfers offered convenient connections to distant resorts. The year also saw the inauguration of Dhiraagu’s national telephone rollout program to connect all inhibited islands and resorts of the Maldives.

June

1997 - Maldives celebrates 25 years of tourism. The same year Dhiraagu launched mobile services, following the introduction of dial-up internet services the previous year, enabling email communications in the tourism sector.

July

1998 - The first spa resort concept was introduced, hailing in the next phase in the evolution of Maldives tourism. A year after, Dhiraagu connected all islands by telephone and launched GSM mobile services welcoming the next era in digital communications.

August

2003 - Annual tourist arrivals crossed half a million. Broadband internet service was introduced in the previous year, offering faster internet speeds for resort operations and the public.

September

2009 - The reintroduction of guesthouse tourism enabling communities to benefit directly from the tourism sector was perfectly timed with Dhiraagu’s 100% mobile coverage of all inhabited islands during the previous year.

October

2013 - An important milestone in tourism, 1,000,000 tourist arrivals in a year. Just a year before, Dhiraagu achieved the important milestone of laying the national submarine cable, facilitating efficient digital communication services along the length of the country.

November

2019 - A record 1.7 million tourists arrive in the Maldives a year after Dhiraagu completes nationwide 4G coverage, the first to offer 4G services to all inhabited islands, resorts and industrial islands.

December

2020 - Maldives won the World’s leading destination award during a year which challenged the global tourism and travel industry. The previous year Dhiraagu introduced 5G, the first to offer 5G service in the Maldives as well as in South Asia.