The current policy allows 55 percent of resort employees to be foreigners. Despite this regulation, instances where the number of foreign workers in resorts exceeds this stipulated ratio.
The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) has appealed to the Ministry of Tourism to increase the percentage of foreign employees working in resorts to 70 percent.
The Tourism Ministry said that MATI has requested an increase in the percentage of foreign employees to 70 percent while decreasing the number of local employees in the tourism sector to 30 percent. The Ministry further added that they are in discussions with the Higher Education Ministry to determine the change to the ratio of local employees.
The Ministry said that the government aims to increase the number of Maldivian employees in the tourism industry. They assured that any changes to the ratio would be made after careful consideration to ensure the best interests of Maldivians.
Citing a study by People First HR Consultancy, MATI highlighted that the Maldives is grappling with a shortage of employees to meet the demand in the tourism sector between 2023 and 2027. The research indicates that despite the demand for 78,000 employees in the tourism industry by 2027, the projected number of local employees stands at 18,000 in the industry.
According to the current policy of the Tourism Ministry, up to 55 percent of the employees in a resort can be foreigners. However, there are instances where the number of foreign workers in resorts exceeds this stipulated ratio. Currently, there are 40,000 employees working in the tourism sector in Maldives, with around 15,000 being locals.
Labor Relations Authority had earlier said that one of the most significant issues arising resort employment is that work that can be performed by Maldivians are subcontracted to other companies, resulting in many jobs being given to foreign employees.
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