The operational capacity of tourist accommodation establishments has dropped to 1,213.
This was revealed by the latest weekly statistics publicized by the Ministry of Tourism on Friday.
As such, the ministry revealed that the number of operational tourist accommodation establishments across the Maldives has dropped to 1,213.
Speaking to RaajjeMV, an official from the ministry revealed that the reason for the drop in operational tourist accommodation establishments is due to the halting of services in some liveaboard vessels last year.
Presently, a total of 1,213 tourist accommodation facilities are operational across Maldives, with a total of 59,896 tourist beds.
Operational facilities include 168 resorts, 880 guesthouses, 13 hotels and 152 live-aboard vessels. The guesthouses span across 117 islands of 20 atolls, with hotels operational in seven islands of seven atolls.
As of February 8, 69 percent of the bed capacity is occupied by resorts, followed by 23 percent occupied by guesthouses, five percent by safari vessels and three percent by hotels.
The total number of operational beds span across resorts, hotels, guesthouses, and live-aboard vessels including 41,049 in resorts, 1,640 in hotels, 14,254 in guesthouses and 2,953 in live-aboard vessels.
Maldives currently has a capacity of 1,217 tourist facilities which include 152 safari vessels, 880 guesthouses, 13 hotels and 172 resorts. This means that of the total facility capacity, four resorts are yet to resume operations.
Tourist facilities currently in operation are:
- Two resorts and 22 guesthouses in four islands of Haa Alif atoll,
- One hotel, one resort and 17 guesthouses in five islands of Haa Dhaal atoll,
- Two resorts and eight guesthouses in six islands of Shaviyani atoll,
- Eight resorts and 15 guesthouses in five islands of Noonu atoll,
- 16 resorts and seven guesthouses in seven islands of Raa atoll,
- 16 resorts, one hotel and 63 guesthouses in 13 islands of Baa atoll,
- Nine resorts and eight guesthouses in four islands of Lhaviyani atoll,
- 55 resorts, seven hotels and 341 guesthouses in 10 islands of Kaafu atoll,
- 11 resorts and 158 guesthouses in eight islands of Alif Alif atoll,
- 17 resorts, one hotel and 93 guesthouses in 10 islands of Alif Dhaal atoll,
- Four resorts, one hotel and 54 guesthouses in five islands of Vaavu atoll,
- Three resorts and six guesthouses in five islands of Meemu atoll,
- One resort and seven guesthouses in two islands of Faafu atoll,
- Nine resorts and 10 guesthouses in six islands of Dhaalu atoll,
- One resort and six guesthouses in five islands of Thaa atoll,
- Two resorts and five guesthouses in one island of Laamu atoll,
- Six resorts, one hotel and 13 guesthouses in six islands of Gaaf Alif atoll,
- Three resorts and eight guesthouses in four islands of Gaaf Dhaal atoll,
- 19 guesthouses in Fuvahmulah City,
- Two resorts, one hotel and 20 guesthouses in six districts of Addu City in Seenu atoll
The ministry introduced Homestay in the Maldives in January 2022, since then a few more homestay facilities have been opened. This comes under President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s tourism development vision and policy to make tourism and its benefits accessible to the island communities as well.
After the Covid 19 pandemic Maldives re-opened borders on 15 July 2020 nearly four months since borders were closed, and at first, resorts and live-aboard vessels were given the green light to begin operations. Guesthouses outside of the Greater Malé Region were permitted to resume operations on 15 October 2020. Authorities allowed the reopening of guesthouses in the capital region on 14 December 2020.
