Ministry of Tourism has revealed it is working to introduce policies and guidelines for homestay tourism in January next year.
Homestay tourism is a popular form of hospitality and lodging whereby tourists share a residence with a local household in the country they are travelling to.
Speaking to PSM News, Senior Executive Director Ali Razzan said the diversification and localisation team of the tourism ministry are currently meeting local councils to discuss homestay tourism. The tourism ministry plans to introduce homestay tourism in all inhabited islands on January 1 after the necessary legal changes are made, said Razzan.
He said the ministry is holding discussions with industry stakeholders, noting that the most significant stakeholders are the island councils. He said the main purpose of the meetings is to gather their input in order to implement a legal framework before introducing homestay tourism. The tourism ministry has stated the councils are in favour of homestay tourism in the islands as soon as possible.
Furthermore, the ministry stated it will be hosting a seminar and submitting its proposed legal framework to the parliament for approval. Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom earlier said homestay will benefit numerous tourism establishments including resorts, guesthouses, and liveaboards as well as ordinary citizens.
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.