With the resuming of services in one resort and two more guesthouses, the operational capacity of tourist accommodation establishments across the Maldives has risen once more.
This was revealed by the latest weekly statistics publicized by the Ministry of Tourism on Friday.
As such, the ministry’s figures revealed that the number of operational tourist accommodation facilities across the Maldives currently sits at 1,256.
This means that one resort and two guesthouses resumed services over the course of the past week. As such, a resort resumed operations in Raa atoll and guesthouses in Haa Dhaal atoll, Raa atoll and Vaavu atoll also opened for services while a guesthouse in an island of Alif Dhaal atoll halted services.
The guesthouses span across 118 islands of 20 atolls, with hotels operational in seven islands of seven atolls.
As of July 26, 68 percent of the bed capacity is occupied by resorts, followed by 24 percent occupied by guesthouses, five percent by safari vessels and three percent by hotels.
Presently, a total of 61,554 tourist beds are in operation across these facilities, which include 172 resorts, 910 guesthouses, 13 hotels and 161 live-aboard vessels.
The total number of operational beds span across resorts, hotels, guesthouses, and live-aboard vessels including 41,813 in resorts, 1,640 in hotels, 14,934 in guesthouses and 3,167 in live-aboard vessels.
Maldives currently has a capacity of 1,259 tourist facilities which include 161 safari vessels, 910 guesthouses, 13 hotels and 175 resorts. This means that of the total facility capacity, three resorts are yet to resume operations.
Tourist facilities currently in operation are:
- Two resorts and 23 guesthouses in four islands of Haa Alif atoll,
- One hotel, one resort and 18 guesthouses in five islands of Haa Dhaal atoll,
- Two resorts and eight guesthouses in six islands of Shaviyani atoll,
- Nine resorts and 14 guesthouses in five islands of Noonu atoll,
- 17 resorts and seven guesthouses in seven islands of Raa atoll,
- 17 resorts, one hotel and 68 guesthouses in 13 islands of Baa atoll,
- 10 resorts and seven guesthouses in four islands of Lhaviyani atoll,
- 55 resorts, seven hotels and 351 guesthouses in 10 islands of Kaafu atoll,
- 11 resorts and 158 guesthouses in eight islands of Alif Alif atoll,
- 17 resorts, one hotel and 98 guesthouses in 10 islands of Alif Dhaal atoll,
- Four resorts, one hotel and 56 guesthouses in five islands of Vaavu atoll,
- Three resorts and five guesthouses in five islands of Meemu atoll,
- One resort and seven guesthouses in two islands of Faafu atoll,
- Nine resorts and 12 guesthouses in six islands of Dhaalu atoll,
- One resort and seven 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 nine guesthouses in four islands of Gaaf Dhaal atoll,
- 24 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.
