Tourism is the largest economic industry in the Maldives, as it plays an important role in earning foreign exchange revenues and employs 25,000 people in the tertiary sector of the country. The archipelago of the Maldives is the main source of attraction to many tourists visiting the island country. Entrepreneurs have been swiftly amassing assets connected to the tourism sector in the Maldives. Given that tourism is the primary economic driver in the Maldives, this trend is affording the substantial influence over the nation's economy.
The tourism industry is especially vulnerable to climate change: as one of the island nations expected to be most impacted by climate change, sea level rise and subsequent increased extreme weather, coastal flooding, and coral bleaching damage the natural attractions that bring many of the tourists to the country.
History
President Ibrahim Nasir is credited for having started tourism in the Maldives in 1972 in order to diversify the economy and help in his vision of modernizing the Maldives. A United Nations mission on development which visited the Maldives Islands in the 1960s did not recommend tourism, claiming that the islands were not suitable. Ever since the launch of the first resort in Maldives in 1972, however, tourism in Maldives has flourished. The arrival of the first tourist's group is estimated to have occurred in February 1972. Tourism in Maldives started with just two resorts with a capacity of about 280 beds. Kurumba Island Resort is the first resort opened in Maldives, followed by Bandos Island Resort which was developed and opened by Ibrahim Nasir, Nasir also personally set up the first tourist agency known as "Crescent Tourist Agency". At present, there are over 132 resorts located in the different atolls constituting the Republic of Maldives. Over the decades, the number of tourists in Maldives is rising continuously. In 2009, local island guesthouses started popping up in the Maldives. This was thanks to a change in regulations that began to officially allow tourists to stay among the local population, rather than just on privately owned resort islands. In 2015, a total of 1.2 million tourists visited the Maldives, and another 1.5 million visited in 2016.
In 2018, the Maldives operated 130 island-resorts. Current work is being undertaken to boost tourism room capacity by constructing another 23 properties, which will include foreign developers such as the Waldorf Astoria, Mövenpick, Pullman and the Hard Rock Café Hotel. Extensive upgrades at the Velana International Airport will allow for 7.5 million visitors by early 2019 or 2020.
Statistics
+Yearly tourist arrivals in millions
Arrivals by country Most visitors arriving to the Maldives on short term basis, were from the following countries of nationality:
+ Foreign tourist arrivals Country 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 284,029 283,116 306,530 324,326 359,514 363,626 331,719 229,550 198,655 166,030 90,474 83,019 66,955 52,368 45,587 38,014 31,721 30,978 136,343 105,297 88,848 71,202 65,616 57,862 57,854 62,782 83,328 131,561 117,532 112,109 106,381 105,132 98,328 93,598 98,351 90,517 126,199 114,602 103,977 101,843 92,775 88,704 85,869 91,776 104,508 83,369 70,935 61,931 46,522 44,323 66,308 76,479 66,378 63,936 59,738 50,476 42,365 40,487 42,024 50,656 54,328 56,775 59,694 54,474 42,901 39,180 32,589 29,308 25,641 20,034 16,049 14,490 44,251 42,304 41,133 39,894 39,244 38,817 39,463 36,438 35,782 39,928 37,254 27,360 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Total 1,702,887 1,484,274 1,389,542 1,286,135 1,234,248 1,204,857 1,125,202 958,027 931,333
Tourism in the Maldives, 2020s
+ Tourists in the Maldives by nationality (2020–2023) Rank Nationality 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 1 263,340 187,125 15,023 2,425 36,873 2 225,204 209,146 201,954 222,422 61,387 3 181,644 155,994 179,311 62,777 52,720 4 157,246 135,091 133,432 95,358 36,435 5 145,672 118,525 97,627 27,309 46,690 6 130,805 209,193 241,382 291,787 62,960 7 69,620 74,838 80,697 55,760 19,759 8 54,637 49,201 48,341 30,068 28,031 9 47,835 40,461 42,123 37,354 6,77810 41,062 37,258 36,614 24,951 12,51711 36,395 36,324 35,948 6,849 5,89512 35,818 33,684 25,094 4,077 7,22013 33,295 28,336 16,807 3,923 1,10814 33,148 28,394 23,590 23,596 7,10815 31,074 23,041 8,543 937 8,47916 29,735 29,963 32,384 40,014 7,57817 29,425 24,930 25,056 17,128 8,10318 27,575 20,833 21,430 24,024 6,47019 23,720 21,729 17,308 18,692 7,28220 21,010 17,010 11,579 15,856 6,80021 19,846 13,551 8,479 703 2,94622 18,410 17,998 15,988 839 3,46823 18,231 15,575 15,224 12,582 5,81324 18,064 14,016 10,502 10,529 3,16425 15,269 14,043 11,456 14,095 7,368 Others 338,535 72,418 126,389 217,797 79,924 Total 2,046,615 1,878,543 1,675,303 1,321,937 555,494
Level of tourism development
Tourism in the Maldives has started in 1972 with only two hotels, now – there are more than 100 operational resorts. The unique condition of Maldives is that one island is one resort, meaning that one hotel occupies the whole island. By doing so, resorts provide more privacy and more luxury for their visitors. The Maldives are also trying to stay eco-friendly and use more of solar energy rather than diesel. The Maldives provide facilities and services, entertainment and telecommunication services, they also provide numerous resorts, hotels, guest houses, and liveboards.
Overview of a typical tropical resort A tourist resort in the Maldives typically consists of a hotel on its own island, with its population entirely made up of tourists and work force, with no local people or houses. China has established a presence in nearly every facet of the Maldivian government, tourism industry, and economy, spanning both the private and public sectors.
Climate change
The Maldives' economy is greatly influenced by any climate changes. Tourism sector can be damaged by the increased likelihood of violent storms, damage to coral reefs, and beach erosion, which are now more likely to happen because of the rising seas.
As a consequence of climate change, Maldives is now facing the problem of rising seas and coral reefs bleaching. According to the World Bank, with "future sea levels projected to increase in the range of 10 to 100 centimeters by the year 2100, the entire country could be submerged." New government has made a decision to fight the rising seas problem with geoengineering projects instead of trying to move the population. The idea is to rent out other islands and even build new islands, so the population of those islands who are more in trouble could be relocated. One of those built islands is Hulhumale'.
It has been also pointed out that some islands can grow naturally.
World Bank states that, "Rising sea temperatures also threaten the coral reefs and cause bleaching and death, with the most severe damage in areas that are stressed by pollutants, or damaged by physical disturbance. Vulnerability to climate change hazards has been magnified by damage to coral reefs which has in turn impaired their protective function, thus a negative cycle of impact."
Health concerns On 24 May 2021, Maldives had the world's fastest-growing COVID-19 outbreak, with the highest number of infections per thousand people over the prior 7 and 14 days, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Doctors warned that increasing demand for COVID-19 care could hinder their ability to handle other health emergencies in the Maldives.
Environmental concerns Ecotourism
There is some promotion of ecotourism in the Maldives, with resorts emphasizing recycling of heat that is wasted in producing electricity and stricter policies of waste disposal.Fennell, David A. (2008). Ecotourism. Routledge, 2008. , p. 185.
Nevertheless, the Maldives have frequently come under criticism for their lack of protection of the local shark populations, which have sharply decreased after being hunted extensively for decades. In some areas, sharks have entirely disappeared. Sharks are hunted primarily for their fins. Shark fins are exported from the Maldives to other countries in Asia, where they are regarded as a delicacy. The fins are amputated from the live animals, which are then thrown back alive into the sea. Although this practice is prohibited by law in the Maldives, these laws are not respected or enforced by the local authorities.Bloody shark slaughter in the island paradise Der Spiegel, 09-15-2008.
In 2001, a local environmental organization called Seamarc/Marine savers (known onsite as Reefscapers), set up an ambitious program of reimplantation of coral in damaged areas, on the basis of resort sponsorship.
Natural environment
The Maldives' tourism industry is the country's largest revenue generator. Due to their underwater scenery and clean water, the Maldives is ranked among the best recreational diving destinations of the world,Garrod, Brian and Stefan Gossling (2007).New Frontiers in Marine Tourism. Elsevier, 2007; , pg. 31. with over 60 local dive sites across the islands. It was also reported to be the world's most desired honeymoon destination, according to a global survey by Agoda.com.
Safety concerns Outside of the resorts, the level of crime in the Maldives is high; it is not safe for women. Attacks with knives in populated areas, like the capital Male, have increased. Tourists should also follow local advice as to whether there is any danger with swimming. Some piracy and armed robbery attacks have also occurred in the area of Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa. A threat of terrorism is possible; the targets can include: government buildings, schools, places of worship, airports, public places, etc.
On 5 February 2018, the government declared a state of emergency due to the increased protests and aggressive clashes with the police in Malé. Those demonstrations are advised to be avoided.
On 18 June 2023, a Chinese national took to Twitter to share a harrowing incident she encountered during her stay at Maldives’ luxurious Ritz-Carlton resort. In her long Twitter thread, the 26-year-old Chinese tourist accused a resort staff named Usham of sexual assault. She also accused the resort management and the Maldivian police of hushing the matter and taking no coercive steps to investigate her case. The victim, a Chinese national currently pursuing her studies in Australia, in a long Twitter thread wrote that she had reached Maldives on the 6th of June and was scheduled to return to China on the 10th but she decided to extend her stay and checked into the Ritz Carlton Fari Island resort, unaware of the horror that would befall her. Ritz-Carlton Fari Island Resort, owned by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and a subsidiary of Marriott International, high-end resort known for its pristine beaches and world-class hospitality.
List of tourist attractions in Maldives Male Malé Friday Mosque Kuruhinna Tharaagandu archaeological site Lonuziyaaraiy Park Muliaage Palace Gadi Buru clock tower Male's National Museum Male's Fish Market Tsunami Monument Malé Eid Mosque
Addu Addu Nature Park Shangri-La's Villingili Resort & Spa Banana Reef Addu Canareef Eco Park Hithadhoo Farming Land
See also Economy of the Maldives Visa policy of Maldives Ministry of Tourism (Maldives) Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation scandal
References
External links
Official website of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation Ministry of Tourism