Saint Martin’s Island will reopen to tourists on November 1 after a nine-month closure aimed at protecting its fragile ecosystem and biodiversity.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued an order to this effect on Sunday.
The island has remained closed to tourists since February 1 under a government decision to conserve its environment.
The decision to reopen the island was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Secretariat on October 12 to discuss tourist access to Saint Martin’s.
Following the meeting, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo said the government had decided to review the duration of tourists’ visits and stays, the daily tourist limit and the departure points for tourist vessels.
He said the government would make fresh decisions considering environmental and biodiversity conservation alongside tourists’ safety and ease of access. Existing restrictions would remain in force until new directives were issued, he added.
Under the latest order, the island will remain open to tourists until March 15, 2027, during the current tourist season.