State of emergency will drop occupancy to 65 percent, says former MATATO chief
Riffath sent out the post on February 16th, when resorts in the country celebrated the Chinese New Year
The Medhufushi Island Resort
The ongoing state of emergency imposed in the Maldives will hurt tourism more than previously anticipated, says Yusuf Riffath, the former chief of the national tour agent association.
Riffath, the former president of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators, said this through a post on his Twitter account.
Riffath sent out the post on Friday, February 16th, when resorts in the country celebrated the Chinese New Year, which he described as being a ‘big flop’ this year.
The Maldivian government has been taking steps to thwart the potential damage tourism, and had sent envoys to a number of countries and has guaranteed tourists that they will be safe.
With political conflict still ongoing, and the government's raids on a number of tourist resorts in January, efforts may need to be amplified.
Nations from which Maldives gets most of tourist arrivals have all, except for South Korea, issued advisories against travelling to the Maldives.
WATCH: Has the state of emergency hurt guesthouse businesses in Maafushi island?
