President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has, in his annual address to parliament, revealed that Maldives will see 18 new resort openings with an increase in bed capacity to 5,062 beds in 2021. This will also create over 9,000 jobs in the industry, he added.
Delivering his presidential address to the Parliament as it reopened for the year on Thursday morning, President said his administration has made key legislative amendments to develop the tourism sector – the Maldives’ main economic driver.
“We expect that, along with resorts currently under development, 18 new resorts will open this year making 5,062 additional beds available in the market. Therefore, over 9,000 new jobs will be available in the tourism sector within this year,” he said.
The president noted that the government aims to ensure that the benefits of the tourism industry reaches all corners of the archipelago. In this regard, several plots of land from local islands were opened up for tourist hotel and guesthouse development last year, he said. He further noted that changes were brought to the law such that individual villas and rooms in local resorts can be leased to other parties for extended periods, and said that it is an important step to expand the tourism sector.
President Solih has also launched a program whereby 1,200 individuals will be trained every year for different economic sectors. This will build the capacity needed to expand the sectors, according to the President.
