Minister: Tourism industry can overcome the troubles faced

Tourism Minister Ali Waheed has said that the country can overcome the strains faced in the tourism industry.

The Minister was speaking at the 30th annual general meeting of MATI when he said that the government was working on limiting the negative effects of the Covid-19 levied upon the tourism industry of the country. He noted that the industry had proved wrong those who said that it will not grow, thanks to the hard work of the investors.

“Because of your work and innovations, today the Maldives is a famous destination,” said Minister Ali Waheed.

The minister noted the security and safety audits of tourism establishments carried out last year and stated the determination to conduct future audits to maintain the quality of services and the brand image of the country.

“The world is developing and the standards are rising. The biggest priority is on maintaining the quality and raising the standards of services provided.” said the Minister.

Amending the regulations related to the industry would be completed within this year, according to the Minister who afterward hailed the success of surpassing the 1.5 million tourist arrivals and reaching 1.7 million arrivals in 2019. He noted that the country was a ‘supreme’ destination invested by massive hotel brands.

As the regulatory body of the industry, the Minister noted that the Tourism Ministry always promoted and encouraged eco-friendly measures and approaches when developing resorts. He also noted the steps taken to prevent the destruction of the environment in the name of developing resorts.

The minister pointed out the importance of the industry by stating that tourism revenue accounted for almost 25 percent of the GDP of the country directly and contributed indirectly to 75 percent of the economy.

“I commend the leaders and pioneers of the industry.” said the Minister before hailing the opening of 23 new resorts in the country from November 2018 to the same period of 2019. The Minister ended his speech by noting that 13 new openings will be unveiled in the country within 2020.