President: Once Maldives linked with transport network, all islands, from Thuraakunu to Addu, will reap benefits of tourism

With the development of airports, the expansion of the seaplane network, and the RTL ferry service, there will not be a single island in Maldives - from the northern island of Thuraakunu to the southern city of Addu – that will not enjoy the benefits of tourism, states President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

He made the remark during the function at Dharubaaruge on Sunday night to mark the National Tourism Day.

In his speech, President Solih said a reliable and easy transport system is crucial to the expansion of tourism in Maldives.

 With that in mind, the Maldivian administration is now making major changes to the Hanimaadhoo Airport and upgrading the Addu Airport, he said.

“Our goal is to build an airport every 20–30-minute distance between residential islands. As the airports are developed, as the seaplane network is expanded, and the isolated islands linked via the RTL ferry service, greater opportunities will open for local tourism,” he said.

“Then, from the east of Thuraakunu to the southern coast of Addu’s Gan, there will not be a single island that isn’t enjoying the benefits of tourism,” he said.

President Solih said that as of September’s end, Maldives has 166 resorts, two yacht marinas, 13 tourist hotels, 721 guesthouses, four homestay guesthouses, and 147 liveaboards.

“In terms of bed capacity, it is 57,436 beds. Even now, there are guesthouses operating in 105 islands in 20 atolls. More islands are preparing to open more guesthouses,” he said.

President Solih said that as Maldives celebrates its success in tourism, it must also remember the biggest challenge and the biggest loss to the industry.

“We had to call off multiple planned developmental projects. Covid resulted in the greatest loss to the Maldivian resorts. Because of global border closures, Maldives was forced to close its borders and its resorts for months,” he said.

President Solih said that as the tourism industry attempts to recover from the pandemic, it now faces the Russia-Ukraine war.

President Solih said the lack of work on islands leased for tourism posed the biggest challenge to the development of tourism in Maldives. He described such islands and lose leased without proper foresight.

“Especially the islands and lagoons leased via MMPRC some six years back,” he said.

President Solih said that the multi-billion-dollar islands and lagoons were sold off without a single penny to the state. He said the state was trying to recover the loss through the courts.

This year marks the Golden Year of Tourism in Maldives. It was 50 years ago, on October 3, 1972, that Maldives opened its first resort – Kurumba Village (now Kurumba Maldives).

Sunday’s function saw the launch of the Maldives Tourism Awards to celebrate the milestone. President Solih presented the award to some of the recipients.

However, their service cannot be valued with an award alone, he said.

President Solih noted the pioneers of the Maldivian tourism industry had birthed a completely new industry in Maldives, one that transformed the entire country.

“Especially the people who birthed an industry that simply did not exists in Maldives. I cannot even imagine the hardship they went through, the difficulties,” he said.

President Solih said that it was because of their courage that Maldives is now a leading tourist destination.

“It is you who moved the Maldivian people from palm leaf shacks and wooden huts to high-rises and modern homes,” he said.

He thanked the Maldivian tourism pioneers George Corbin, Ahmed Naseem, Mohamed Umar Manik, and Champa Hussain Afeef.