Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih addresses on the importance of maintaining the status as a leading tourism destination amid increasing competition.
Speaking at the Golden Jubilee Awards ceremony held at Kurumba Maldives by Maldives Association for Tourism Industry (MATI), President Solih accentuated the necessity for sustainability efforts in the industry.
He highlighted the importance of matching sustainability efforts with proactive initiation, diligence and dedication by industry stakeholders, affiliates and contributors towards the expansion of the sector.
While speaking about the island nation's unique tourism offering, President Solih states that the popularity of the destination is owed to the "environmental tranquility, kindness and hospitality of locals, and the pristine natural beauty of the nation."
"We have a globally competitive market in the tourism sector. Several destinations are taking the Maldives as a reference in their tourism approach, and amid this growing competitiveness we must boost our momentum," says President Solih.
The president notifies efforts put in place to incorporate integrated tourist resort and private island tourism into the legal framework of the Maldives Tourism Act, reaffirming state support towards the industry.
"These products are specifically crafted to encourage tourists to lengthen their stays in the Maldives" President Solih said.
He states that the government's decision for reopening borders after a three-month closure in 2020 amid the pandemic had a positive impact on collective economic recovery.
The President identified that the limited passenger capacity at the country's main gateway, Velana International Airport (VIA), is one of the major challenges to the tourism industry, noting that plans are in effect to restart airport development to increase the passenger capacity to 7 million annually.
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