Addu City, Maldives – Tourism Minister Dr. Abdullah Mausoom has said that 6,000 additional beds are required for tourism to prosper in the southern region of Maldives.
Speaking at the signing ceremony between Maldivian and Addu Airports Company to commence seaplane operations between Addu and Huvadhoo, the Minister said that the government is doing a lot to develop tourism industry in the northern and southern region of the country and that the agreement signed today to commence sea plane operations between these two atolls is “a new move towards making the business formula successful”.
Speaking further on the matter, highlighting the lack of bed capacity in the region, Minister Mausoom said that even at present, there are more than 2,400 beds which are yet to open in the region and that this is not an adequate number for international flights to operate. He explained that an additional 6,000 beds would be required to make the investment feasible.
However, given the situation some sacrificed need to be made, and that sacrifice is being made by the government, said the Minister. “The decision being made today is whether flights will not be operated until the 6,000 bed capacity is ensured, or whether flights will be operated until the 6,000 bed quota is met, or whether it would be done either way with losses shared by the companies.” Minister Mausoom stated.
Reminding the gathering that the year 2022 would mark 50 years since Maldives introduced tourism into the country, Minister Mausoom said that the bed capacity will continue to increase and that by 2022, the tourism industry of the south will become a profitable business.
The tourism industry of Maldives suffered immensely since Maldives the outbreak of Covid-19 in early 2020, however, with the number of cases decreasing and medical advancements being made in the field, Maldives has reopened its borders for tourists on July 15th.
Having have earned the title by World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) on the 15th of September, Maldives has welcomed more than 13,500 tourists since July. Multiple resorts have since opened up with safety measures in place, to provide the ultimate vacation experience in the paradise on Earth they call home.
