Tourism Ministry Introduces New Advertising Regulations to Ensure Accuracy in Tourism Promotion

The Ministry of Tourism and Environment has announced new regulations relating to the advertising of tourist facilities.

Tourism advertising can occasionally misrepresent the true picture of destinations, which undermines tourists’ trust in the Maldives’ facilities and services. To address these concerns, the Tourism Ministry has introduced regulations on the advertising of tourism facilities.

The regulation defines advertising to include all forms of print, digital, online, video, and social media content. The main objective of the regulations is to ensure that any promotional material or advertising targeting tourists provide an accurate portrayal of tourist facilities, their surroundings and other services available.

According to the Ministry, all advertisements should comply with the laws and regulations of the Maldives and the message relayed through the advertisement should not conflict with local culture, religion, or community standards. The Ministry also said that advertisements for tourist services must be respectful of other countries, cultures, and individuals. Additionally, only content that relays accurate and factual information about the tourist facilities, its surroundings and offerings can be used for advertisements.

The facilities and services advertised must also be registered with the Ministry of Tourism or have an operating license, and the content must reflect the category under which the license was issued.

The Ministry has also defined the areas where the regulation will apply.

The areas to which this rule applies are:

• Tourist resorts
• Integrated Tourist Resorts
• Private Islands
• Tourist hotels
• Tourist guest houses
• Tourist vessels
• Yacht harbours
• Diving service providers
• Water sports service centres and water-related sports and excursion centres

The Ministry of Tourism hopes that the regulation will ensure the satisfaction of tourists with the services received during their stay in the Maldives.