Maldivian economic growth models should be sustainable, not lead to polluting the beautiful islands and amazing marine biodiversity which tourists flock to the country to enjoy, says the Head of Cooperation at the European Union (EU) Delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Dr. Johann Hesse.

He made the statement during an information session targeted towards local guesthouses, held in Maafushi island of Kaafu atoll.

While addressing the guests, Dr. Hesse highlighted that EU funding always puts people at the heart of their activities. He stated that this is why they support small guesthouses and safari vessels aligning with the Maldivian government’s agenda of spreading the tourism experience and spend in communities.

Dr. Hesse went onto say that the EU strongly believes that economic growth models should be sustainable, not lead to polluting of the beautiful islands and amazing marine biodiversity of the Maldives. He said that future funding provided by the EU will focus on ensuring economic and environmental sustainability, which do not ultimately threaten the livelihoods and health of communities in the long run.

This information session was conducted under the EU funded project “EU Support for a Resilient Recovery of SME Tourism Industry in the Maldives”.

The European Union, Maldives Fund Management Corporation (MFMC), the Maldives National University, Maafushi Council and local business community took part in the sessions.

The EU has provided EUR 2 million to help the local tourism industry to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. The goal for this project is to help build up a more resilient and a diversified economy in the SME Tourism Industry in the Maldives.

As part of the project, a total of EUR 1,400,000 (MVR 25,332,672) was allocated to tourism SMEs as a grant to support business operations to tide over a period where businesses struggled to survive given global lockdowns. To date, 406 beneficiaries received a direct EU grant, out of which 341 are local guesthouses and 65 are safari vessels upon completion of component one of the project.

MFMC notes that the objective of conducting nation-wide training sessions is to contribute towards the development of SMEs operating in the local tourism industry. As such, the key focus areas of the sessions include, adapting to a post pandemic world, sustainability, front-office and financial management, and effective waste management.

Additionally, token cheques were handed to some of the beneficiaries on the direct cash transfer component, at the conclusion of the training session.

The Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Maldives Fund Management Corporation, and the K. Maafushi Island Council attended the token awarding ceremony. MFMC is the lead implementation agency for the project.