Champa Hussain Afeef, one of the pioneers of Maldives tourism said on Sunday evening that Maldives economy was drastically transformed by the introduction of tourism to the nation.
Afeef spoke in the countdown ceremony held to celebrate 50 years of tourism in Maldives as one of the industry pioneers. He noted that 2020 was year that produced a low GDP. However the reopening of borders and allowing tourists to visit resorts again had its impact on the economy.
He said that they faced various obstacles over the last 49 years to promote tourism in the nation. The continuous work of the government and industry workers have ensured that Maldives is one of the most well known destinations in the world.
"Forty percent of Maldives' GDP is made of tourism. This industry changed our economy. World renowned brands started coming to Maldives and as the trust they place in us grew, so did their investments," Afeef said.
Afeef was the one to introduce international brands to Maldives; in 1992 Hilton opened their first resort in Maldives.
Umar Manik (MU Manik) who had worked alongside Afeef had pointed out that prior to the introduction of tourism, Maldivians used Pounds as a foreign tender. The switch to US Dollars happened shortly after tourists started to come Kurumba Village, which was the first resort opened in Maldives.
Maldives' tourism industry was developed with current Health Minister Ahmed Naseem in addition to Afeef and MU Manik. Kurumba Village was opened with 30 rooms for tourists. Later on they worked to introduce more state of the art facilities and focused on introducing foreign investors as well.
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