Thankful to president for opportunity to serve tourism: Faisal

The recently dismissed Tourism Minister, Ibrahim Faisal, yesterday thanked President Dr Mohamed Muizzu for giving him the opportunity to serve as a tourism minister of the country and said the government was cooperative during his tenure.

Faisal was removed from his ministerial capacity on Tuesday. Since his dismissal, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed has taken the temporary reins of the ministry.

While the government is yet to reveal why the parliamentary speaker's son was fired, Faisal said in a statement yesterday that it was a high honour to have been among the cabinet of ministers under Dr. Muizzu's administration.

"It will always be my honour to have had the opportunity to serve the Maldives and its people as tourism minister in his [Dr. Muizzu]'s government until my dismissal on January 28, 2025," he wrote.

Faisal also assured that he performed all responsibilities the president entrusted to him with the utmost interest and sincerity to the best of his abilities. This allowed the country to reach its tourism goals, Faisal added.

Faisal said in his statement that the target of bringing two million tourists to Maldives last year was a historic achievement for Maldivians.

Faisal attributed this success he was able to achieve for the government and its people to listening to the needs of the tourism industry and accepting the public's criticism.

He also thanked President Muizzu, ministers, political employees and civil service employees for their cooperation during his tenure.

Faisal also thanked the tourism industry, MATI, MATATO, the Guest House Association, Presidential Advisors and MMPRC.

“My heart is full of love and gratitude for them,” the statement said.

Faisal said Maldives' tourism needs to be elevated to higher level and that Dr. Muizzu's government is interested in achieving that by providing opportunities in tourism to the youth and bringing Maldives' tourism into the hands of the youth with their participation. Along with providing funds to develop bed capacities, there is also a need to provide better, comfortable environments for the youth, Faisal said.

Faisal said that low interest loans should be disbursed and regions without tourism activities should be provided better access and connectivity. He also said that the tourism training school in the plans to be developed in L. Hulhimendhoo should also be established and developed.

In this statement, he also stressed the importance with establishing a dialogue with owners of resorts which have ceased operations, to seek a path into resumption of services in the facilities and putting them back on the market.

Faisal said the budget allocated for promoting tourism, which is the main source of state revenue, should be increased. According to him, MMPRC's budget should be between USD 25 million and USD 50 million.

He also shared that he has a vision for the tourism industry, and detailed that it is to create between 6,000 and 8,000 beds in each atoll within the next 15 years and to start scheduled flights with international airports.

He also said that his vision includes building cruise marinas in three regions of the country to accommodate cruise liners and expand medical tourism, sports tourism and heritage tourism in the Maldives.