Current diving regulations 27 years old, to be amended

Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal assured last night that the outdated diving regulations, formulated in 1991, are a major concern for local divers and will be amended soon.

Speaking at the Fuvahmulah Tourism Awards 2024 ceremony organised by the city's council on the occasion of World Tourism Day, the minister said that Maldives currently follows very outdated diving regulations and that this poses significant challenges.

Sharing the concerns of Fuvumulah divers, who operate a large number of dive centres, the minister said that according to the current regulations being followed, air travel is only allowed 24 hours after a dive. However other countries allow air travel 18 hours after dives, he said, adding that amendments are needed and that it will be finalised following discussions with technical experts.

He further said that the regulations will be looked into as soon as the government reopens after the weekend and that discussions will follow soon after.

"Compared to how advanced Maldives' diving activities are, the regulation was made in 1991. We're now in 2024, so there will be changes that need to be brought," the minister said.

During last night's event, the Minister further said that the government is working to set up a special department to expand local tourism. This will enable faster services to be provided easily, he said.

"That way, the attention given to the islands will be increased. This will be an important step towards success," Faisal said.

The minister also said the current challenges to expanding tourism include difficulties in obtaining loans through banks. Because of this, talks are now underway with Bank of Maldives and Maldives Islamic Bank as well as other foreign parties to obtain loans at low interest rates, he said.

Minister Faisal said he hopes these loans will be issued by the beginning of next year's first quarter.

He further added that the government is also working on increasing the budget allocated for next year to promote Maldives as a tourist destination for foreign markets. They will also put together a list of significant tourist locations within the country and work to particularly promote those locations as well, he said.

He said the government is also working to expand tourism in the south, including looking at ways to increase foreign airlines to the areas.

The government aims to bring in two million tourists before the end of this year.