The year 2022 was a vibrant year for tourism in the Maldives. It was the year that the island nation celebrated its golden jubilee of tourism. To commemorate this milestone, numerous government agencies and tourism-related commercial organizations worked tirelessly. One of the standout efforts was the launch of two publications by the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI).
The titles of the two books are "Maldivian Resort Architecture - 50 Years of Island Resorts" by Mauroof Jameel, which narrates the architectural development of Maldivian Resorts, and "50 Years of Tourism in Maldives - the Pioneers, People and Policies that Shaped Maldives Tourism" by Dr. Simad Saeed, which details the development of the Maldives Tourism Industry over five decades.
The two books extensively cover the history of tourism in the Maldives and provide relevant information about the industry. These publications aim to increase awareness of the history of tourism in the region as there are only a few existing resources on the subject.
Mauroof Jameel is an architect, independent researcher, and illustrator who specializes in the architectural history of the Maldives. He has authored several books, including "Coral Stone Mosques of Maldives," and his latest work, "Maldivian Resort Architecture - 50 Years of Island Resorts," aims to promote knowledge about tourism architecture, which is not widely accessible.
Given that the Maldives has over a hundred resorts, Mauroof stated that it was difficult to choose 50 resorts for the book. "It is challenging to incorporate information on every resort. A set of criteria is used in the selection of the resorts for the book.To collect the necessary data for the book, Mauroof visited the majority of the resorts, but due to COVID-19, it was difficult to visit all of them in person, so some of the research had to be done online.
The book "Maldivian Resort Architecture - 50 Years of Island Resorts" is divided into five chronological periods. For each decade, the book details the architectural characteristics of the chosen resorts and how the architecture of tourism in the Maldives has evolved over time.
The book also includes information on the individuals who performed manual labor in the resorts, as well as the changes in architecture and constructional advancements observed every ten years.
Mauroof emphasized the importance of the information in the book as an important part of the history of the Maldives. He said, "Resorts are an integral part of our history, and this book provides a narrative of the structural and historical evolution of the resorts.
It also demonstrates the paradigm shift in our perspective towards our natural ecosystems and how the perspective of Maldivians changed with the wave of tourism and the changes in infrastructures."
The history of tourism in the Maldives as a whole is presented in Dr. Simad Saeed's book, "50 Years of Tourism in Maldives - the Pioneers, People, and Policies that Shaped Maldives Tourism". The chronology is primarily illustrated by images, which demonstrate when tourism first began in the Maldives, the pioneers behind it, their experiences and the revolutionary changes it brought about for the island nation.
Dr Simad Saeed reflected that this book presents important knowledge about tourism that was previously not discussed or published. “It relates the history of tourism from the first tourists who visited, the opening of the first resort, the government's initial development of three resorts, the people involved in the pre-development of the resorts, the accelerated growth trajectory of tourism, and how tourism policies changed after the governance of President Ibrahim Nasir.”
His book is divided into five decades, each detailing the significant events that took place during that period. It discusses the beginning of tourism in the Maldives, including the establishment of the airport and the country's first airline, Air Maldives. The book also describes the arrival of foreign airlines and their impact on the tourism industry. Additionally, it touches on the current state of tourism in the Maldives and how the growth of local and guest house tourism is shaping the industry's future.
Dr Simad claimed that he compiled the most informative information for the book by comparing the interviews he held with industry experts. The photographs in the book were provided by the people he interviewed. He believes that the book contains valuable knowledge about the tourism industry that Maldivians should be familiar with.
Dr Simad expressed his fascination with the transformation of the Maldives from one of the poorest countries in the world to a globally recognized luxury destination. He pointed out that before the advent of tourism, there were no established communication channels, dollar exchange rates, or banks to obtain loans for resort development. Despite this, the tourism industry grew rapidly over the decades. He further emphasized that the book includes all these aspects of the Maldives' tourism history.
The books published by MATI shed light on how the industry flourished over the decades and contain valuable information about the history of tourism. The books can be ordered via the website of MATI.
Note: This is a promotional article for the books published by MATI.
Sign In
