IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JOALI BEING
Living Well in Maldives
Encompassing 1,192 islands in 26 atolls, the Maldives embodies island living in the most mesmerizing setting. Its unique geology created bands of tiny, jewel-like islands of soft white sand, gleaming in shallow, clear blue waters. Under the sea, the Maldives is home to about 5% of the planet’s coral reefs, supporting a rich marine life, from sea turtles to manta rays to whale sharks. Surrounded by ocean bounty and diverse flora, the people of the Maldives enjoy a healthy diet of tropical fruits, herbs, spices, and seafood. Living well in the Maldives also means being a responsible steward of a fragile environment dominated by coral reefs. The government has designated a number of nature reserves and biospheres aimed at protecting wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, and sea grass beds, and it encourages hospitality businesses and visitors to adopt sustainable practices.
Traditional Maldivian medicine – Dhivehi beys – is an important foundation of wellbeing, passing down indigenous knowledge of nature’s healing power, and synthesized with the healing arts brought by Indians, Arabs, Persians, Malaysians, Sri Lankans, and Chinese to the islands. Dhivehi beys seeks to maintain and restore the proper balance between the hot, cold, and dry “humours” in the body, leveraging the properties of native plants and herbs. The Maldivian government recognizes the value of Dhivehi beys and is deeply dedicated to preserving the tradition, as well as integrating it into its tourism offerings.
MALDIVES KEY FACTS
Population
523,787 (2022)
Life Expectancy for Men
79.1 years (2021)
Life Expectancy for Women
81 years (2021)
Example Modalities
Luxury wellness resorts
Pristine nature and/or nature-centered wellness
Environmental sustainability or sustainable wellness
WELLNESS ECONOMY BY SECTOR IN MALDIVES
The wellness economy, as defined by GWI, is broad and diverse. Its eleven sectors encompass many different types of consumer activities and expenditures, including products, services, travel, and technology. Every country’s wellness economy is unique. Its composition can vary widely from country to country, based on its development history, culture, socioeconomic conditions, and government policy. Below we present Maldives’ top-line wellness economy data and how it ranks globally. More details are available in the downloadable country report.
Maldives Rankings out of 218 countries
KEY WELLNESS EXPERIENCES IN MALDIVES
The Maldives has long been a destination known for its sun, sea, surfing, and snorkeling, along with its magnificent setting and unspoiled nature, which are an ideal environment for rest, rejuvenation, and adventure. With 172 resorts spread across the islands, the Maldives’ wellbeing infrastructure is well developed, offering its visitors a vast array of spas, sporting activities, healthy foods, and healing modalities that leverage its unique cultural heritage and local produce, herbs, and spices. Among them, Joali Being is the first well-being island of its kind, located on Raa Atoll’s secluded Bodufushi island. Joali Being supports its guests on their wellbeing journey with tailored programs that center around four pillars (Mind, Skin, Microbiome, and Energy), taking wellbeing to a new level by creating a pathway to the Joy of Weightlessness – a feeling of freedom, lightness, and wonder.
“Celebrated for its idyllic beaches, clear blue sea, and exotic flora and fauna, the Maldives is an Eden in the Indian Ocean. Island life here is simple and slow, where natural wellness shapes the daily habits of a food culture of clean nourishment with tropical fruits, vegetables, spices, and seafood from the ocean. Human connection is deeply embedded in its culture, based on engaging and authentic relationships in these close-knit communities. The philosophy of tranquil living is part of the Maldivian culture.”
– Özgür Cengiz, Tourism Group Global Wellness Development Director for Gürok
OTHER GWI RESOURCES & REPORTS FOR MALDIVES
PROVIDED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JOALI BEING
The Global Wellness Institute is grateful to JOALI BEING for supporting the development of this country report and making its important Maldives-specific data available to the world.
JOALI BEING is the first wellbeing island of its kind in the Maldives. Guided by the Four Pillars, which unify ancient wisdom with modern science, the island offers a transcendence journey and pathway to the Joy of Weightlessness—a sense of freedom, lightness, and wonder. Visit the Website
