President Solih's astute leadership helped recover Maldives' tourism sector: VP

The “astute” leadership of incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih paved the path for tourism recovery, from the major downfall caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, says Vice President Faisal Naseem.

VP Naseem made this remark while delivering his statement at the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level thematic debate on "Putting sustainable and resilient tourism at the heart of an inclusive recovery” as part of his ongoing trip to the United States of America.

As such, highlighting that the island nation’s tourism sector progressed on the road to recovery from the downturn caused by the pandemic, with the astute leadership of President Solih joined with the steadfast support of the private sector.

The UNGA’s high-level thematic debate on "Putting sustainable and resilient tourism at the heart of an inclusive recovery” is convened by the President of the 76th Session of the UNGA, Abdulla Shahid with the joint efforts of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

During his remarks, the vice president shed light on the effects of Covid-19 on the country’s tourism sector which he described to be the lifeblood of the economy of Maldives and added that the country’s GDP contracted by 60 percent and faced losses of over USD 4.6 billion.

Describing the establishment of tourism in the Maldives as "an excellent example of collaboration between the private sector and the government”, VP Naseem stated that it has become the main drive of the economic growth of Maldives, accounting for over 45 percent of the GDP in spite of constraints including size, geographical challenges and development challenges.

It has been 50 years since zealous travelers have been visiting the Maldives, which has been drawing in visitors with its picturesque beauty for decades.

VP Naseem went on to state that the pandemic forced the Maldives to close its borders, however, he noted that the borders have since been successfully reopened to travelers from across the globe.

Further, he also shed light on the numerous government interventions that paved the path to recovery and praised the incumbent administration for enacting a minimum wage law which has since benefitted the lives of over 13,000 tourism sector employees.

He also lauded the government’s implementation of a law that governs a 10 percent tourism industry service charge of which 99 percent is distributed to those employed in the tourism sector.

VP Naseem also shed light on the administration’s efforts at tourism diversification and localization, taking tourism to the island communities to encompass culture and heritage, island ecosystems to tourism products and enhance community participation, especially among women.

Stressing that the government’s tourism master plan reflects its commitment to ensure the tourism industry is grounded in protecting the environment, conservation and sustainability, VP Naseem expressed keenness to engage with the members stakes and other stakeholders to ensure that tourism plays a central role in Covid-19 recovery and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.