President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said the number of resorts will reach the same number of inhabited islands in the Maldives with the opening of newly developed resorts. He made the statement while speaking at a ceremony held in Dharubaaruge' convention centre to mark the first National Tourism Day in the Maldives.
During the ceremony, President Solih said the Maldives has always been open to the international tourism market. He said there are many opportunities to expand tourism and investors who want to invest in the Maldives.
In his speech, President Solih mentioned the most important factor in spreading tourism throughout the country. He also shared details of his efforts to connect the entire country.
Furthermore, President Solih said the biggest challenge facing the industry was the spread of COVID-19 in the Maldives and the rest of the world in the past two years. As a result, he said many development plans had to be postponed, adding that resorts have suffered the biggest losses due to the outbreak. He also said due to the Ukraine war the entire world economy has been shaken and tourism in the Maldives is also suffering indirectly.
Despite the challenges, President Solih said a lot of work is still being done for the development of the industry. He said that in the last four years, 33 new resorts and 471 guest houses have been opened in the country. He added thousands of jobs have been created directly from these facilities and thousands more will be created in other tourism-related sectors with the opening of these facilities. He said the biggest challenge is that some of the places that have been allocated for tourism have not been developed for years.
In addition, President Solih said many job opportunities will be opened in different parts of the Maldives, adding that developing the necessary human resources is a very important policy of the government. While tourism is expanding, the real benefits will come from educating the youth and producing people in tourism-related professional fields, he said, adding that there is still much to be done to maintain its position in tourism. He also requested the full assistance and cooperation of the industry in making the Maldives a net zero country by 2030.
During his speech, President Solih said that the most important qualities that attract tourists to the islands of Maldives are the hospitality of the residents and the security and peace of the country. He also said that the tourism industry has become the number one industry in the Maldives. He thanked all those working in the tourism industry for the tireless efforts of many others besides them, saying that tourism in the Maldives has become a world-famous brand.
The biggest achievement in the fifty-year tourism history of the Maldives is winning the title of the world's most popular destination for two consecutive years.