Daniella Ruth Selig, who was the 750,000th tourist to visit the Maldives in 2010, has spoken of her delight in winning a return trip to the country for her and her family.
In an interview to VisitMaldives.com, Ms Selig, a British national, said she was looking forward to returning to the Maldives later this year, after the birth of her baby.
President Nasheed met with Ms Selig and her family on 13 December to congratulate her for being the 750,000th tourist and winning the prize of a return holiday.
During the meeting, the President underscored the importance of tourism to the Maldivian economy and said the country would never overlook its biggest industry.
Ms Selig said in her interview that she visited the Maldives for the first time during her honeymoon. She said she decided to return to the country last year because the Maldives was good value for money compared to destinations such as Thailand and Florida.
Ms Selig also praised the “excellent” childcare facilities available on many Maldivian resorts, which made the country family-friendly. “It’s extremely safe and we felt really comfortable with the kids walking around the island,” she said.
Ms Selig added that the Maldives’ natural beauty was one of the country’s greatest attractions. “The beach was perfect and [my family] could swim and see the fish swimming next to them.”
Ms Selig stayed at Anantara Digu and plans to return to the resort later this year as her 750,000th tourist prize.