German football legend Franz Beckenbauer is holidaying in Maldives.
Beckenbauer arrived in Maldives with his family earlier this week and travelled to Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa in the southernmost Addu atoll. The resort was recently chosen by another German football star Miroslav Klose as well.
Beckenbauer played his first World Cup for West Germany in 1966 in England and captained the team to victory as hosts at the 1974 tournament. The former defender went on to manage French side Marseille and German giants Bayern Munich.
Maldives is amongst the most sought after destinations by celebrity travellers, including sports personalities. High profile footballers like former England captain David Beckham and his family, and Netherlands’ national team captain Arjen Robben are frequent visitors to the island paradise.
With more high-profile Europeans choosing the Maldives for their holidays, Europe remains the single biggest regional source market for the Maldives with a share of over 50 percent of total arrivals. According to official figures, the European market observed an year on year increase of 13.5 percent in the first two months of this year, with a significant share from major European economies such as Germany.