President of Guesthouse Association of the Maldives (GAM) Abdulla Nasheed has stated homestay tourism is not a threat to guesthouses in the country. He made the remarks while speaking at a ceremony in Dhiggaru, Meemu Atoll, to officially inaugurate homestay tourism in the Maldives.
Homestay is a popular tourism model where tourists share a residence with a local household in the country they are traveling. Some individuals have expressed concern that the introduction of homestay tourism in the Maldives will negatively impact the popularity of guesthouses.
Speaking at the ceremony, Nasheed said homestay tourism will not affect guesthouse businesses in the Maldives. He noted that people had expressed similar fears that guesthouses would decrease the number of tourist visits to resorts when guesthouse businesses were introduced in the Maldives in 2010. He, however, said both guesthouses and resorts in the country have grown in popularity since then and that he expects the same results for homestay tourism establishments.
Furthermore, Nasheed said the popularity of guesthouses and homestay tourism establishments will depend on the marketing as well as the location and available facilities and services. He added that the last two years have been particularly difficult for guesthouses but that reopening of the borders in June 2020 has revitalised the industry. He praised the government for making the Maldives one of the first countries to reopen borders following the COVID-19 pandemic.