President of National Hotel and Guesthouse Association (GHAM) Abdulla Nasheed has revealed that guesthouses and hotels have introduced 1,300 beds annually in the past 12 years.
Speaking at the Tourism Golden Year Gala Evening held at Kurumba Maldives to mark the 50th anniversary of the Maldivian tourism industry, Nasheed said 70% of tourists traveling from different countries to the Maldives do not have the financial capacity to holiday in the resorts of the Maldives adding, therefore, it is important to develop the guesthouse industry. He thanked President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for his contributions toward the development of guesthouses.
Furthermore, Nasheed said the guesthouse industry now has 15,562 beds which are 1,300 per year when distributed among the 12 years of the industry, although the 40,053 beds in resorts, when distributed among the 50 years are only 800 per year. He said it is enough proof that citizens are benefitting from the tourism industry.
Moreover, Nasheed encouraged the younger generation to enter the guesthouse business. He added that people across the Maldives will see the real benefits of tourism in the near future.