Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom has said that the tourism sector in the Maldives is currently heading towards making services available to individuals with various physical disabilities. He made the remarks while speaking at a talk show held at the ITB Berlin Fair 2023.
The fair is currently underway in Berlin, Germany, where the Maldives hosted a talk show open to international media called Maldives Media Meet. The talk show was attended by Minister Mausoom, Managing Director of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) Thoyyib Mohamed, and a pioneer of the tourism industry Hussain Afeef.
Speaking at the talk show, Minister Mausoom said the most important step to take is to make efforts to maintain the progress and achievements made in the tourism sector. He said the Maldives has been the world's leading destination for three consecutive years and the sector's aim is to maintain the title.
Additionally, Minister Mausoom said the main reason for the success of the Maldives is its continued implementation of ideas for the development of services and facilities. He said that major work is still being done on two issues. These include efforts to shape services in environmentally friendly ways and transform the country into a place where individuals with disabilities have full access to experience the beauty of the country. In addition to establishing the necessary facilities, he said that efforts are also underway to train employees in special fields to assist individuals with disabilities.
Furthermore, Minister Mausoom also said that local tourism is a very important product for the Maldives. He said that it is benefiting both guest house owners as well as small-scale industries in the islands such as fishermen and farmers.
Tourism accounts for 47% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Maldives and indirectly shares 80% of it.