Vice President Faisal Naseem has stated that Maldives aims to be an accessible and inclusive tourist destination for all.

The Vice President made the comment while addressing the opening of the "UNWTO Global Summit on Community-based Tourism," held at Crossroads Maldives on Wednesday.

Giving his opening remarks at the ceremony, VP Naseem noted that, although the road to recovery is long and building a resilient economy will be challenging, we must maximize the potential of our tourism industry for inclusive development. In this regard, the Vice President stated that we must do more to support our collective efforts to protect the environment and to adopt innovative approaches to using and sharing the benefits of innovation in a fair and equitable manner across our communities.

The Vice President also stated that innovative solutions are needed to reverse the slow development of micro and small enterprises. And he stressed on the importance of rebuilding the tourism sector in a safe, equitable, and climate-friendly manner, ensuring that tourism again serves as a source of decent jobs, stable incomes, and the protection of our cultural and natural heritage.

While the VP highlighted the impact Covid-19 pandemic had on the Maldivian tourism industry, he lauded President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s vision and leadership in guiding the Maldives towards resilience and recovery.

Highlighting that Maldives is celebrating its 50th anniversary of tourism, VP Naseem stated that we must address the myriad of problems we face in guaranteeing inclusive community development and transforming people’s livelihoods.

Moreover, the VP shed light on the history of Maldives’ tourism and the various obstacles tourism pioneers had to overcome to revolutionize the Maldivian economy. He stated that the country is proud of the accomplishments of the pioneers and those who followed in their footsteps in making the Maldives a trusted brand worldwide.

UNWTO Global Summit on Community-based Tourism is jointly organized by the Ministry of Tourism and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The summit would feature discussions on the contribution of community-based tourism to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the accompanying challenges and opportunities.