The Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih highlights on the cruciality of maintaining the momentum of the island nation’s tourism industry.
According to the Maldivian head of state, sustainability efforts for the tourism industry must be met with proactive diligence and dedication by stakeholders, affiliates and everyone who are both directly and indirectly contributing towards the expansion of the economic sector.
The Maldives President spoke in this manner while addressing the attendees at the Gold Jubilee Awards hosted by Maldives Association Tourism Industry (MATI) on Sunday evening, 17th July, at Kurumba Maldives.
The island nation will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee of the tourism industry, which commenced with the debut of the country’s very first tourist resort; Kurumba Maldives back in October, 1972.
In his speech, President Solih stressed on the instrumental contribution by the Maldivian tourism industry on international tourism; with several foreign tourism industries adopting various concepts incepted by the island nation.
“We have a globally competitive market in the tourism sector,” President Solih claims.
He further added, “Several destinations are taking the Maldives as a reference in their tourism approach, and amid this growing competitiveness, we must put fresh impetus to maintain our momentum.”
Maldives is known for its peaceful people and tranquil communities, hospitable and friendly locals and a pristine destination with uncorrupted natural locations; aspects that make the Maldives one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, according to President Solih.
Furthermore, the president affirms continued support from the government to the industry while he adds that several efforts at policy level are carried out towards tourism diversification. He also notes certain amendments to tourism policies have already been made to incorporate the integrated tourist resort and private island tourism concepts into the Tourism Act.
Despite the strong recovery made by the tourism industry since the border reopening in July 2020, the global economy faces another threat in the form of the Russian invasion on Ukraine.
The Eastern-European region has become a conflict zone with Russian forces invading into its neighbor causing massive damages to property and livelihoods.
On the economical front, oil prices have become volatile with per barrel prices hitting highs that have not been observed for months while global aviation have become affected amid the chaotic geopolitical tensions.
The Maldives President identified the impact on the island nation’s tourism due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, noting on the effect it had on tourist arrival figures and source market contributions.