Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom has said establishing guidelines will allow the Maldives to benefit from homestay tourism.
The tourism minister made the statement after the Guesthouse Association of the Maldives (GAM) expressed concern over implementing homestay tourism in the country. Homestay is a popular form of hospitality and lodging whereby tourists share a residence with a local household in the country they are traveling.
In a press statement, GAM acknowledged how homestay would expand the tourism industry of the Maldives but expressed concern over implementing it at the current time. Responding to the statement, Minister Mausoom said countries such as Malaysia are receiving great benefits from homestay tourism. Homestay will benefit numerous tourism establishments including resorts, guesthouses, and liveaboards as well as ordinary citizens, he said.
The government has been working to implement various forms of tourism in the Maldives including homestay, sports, and cultural tourism as well as meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism.