New legislation aims to develop world-class tour agents, operators: Speaker Nasheed

Former President and Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has said that the goal of the new legislation being drafted to regulate tour agencies and operators in the Maldives is to develop world-class tour operators and tour agents in the Maldives, in order to expand the market onto the international stage.

Speaker Nasheed made the remarks while speaking at a discussion held in parliament on Thursday regarding the special legislation being drafted to regulate tour operators and tour agents in the Maldives. He highlighted that tour operators and agents were part of the most profitable businesses within the tourism sector, and that the goal of the new legislation was to elevate such local businesses to an international standard.

In addition to this, Speaker Nasheed also acknowledged that Maldives was one of the most expensive tourism destinations in the whole world, and declared that the it was the collective responsibility of stakeholders within the tourism industry to help expand and elevate local tour operators and agencies up to an international standard.

The discussions held at the People's Majlis on Thursday saw tour operators, agencies and others active within the tourism sector express their concerns regarding the current situation and the new legislation being drafted. Speaker Nasheed assured that work would not stop at simply hearing their concerns, and that work would be done to address and resolve them across institutions.

During his remarks, Speaker Nasheed noted that the tourism sector in the Maldives was run with contributions from everybody including top-industry leaders to those among the working class. He added that the purpose of the new legislation being drafted was to provide a platform where all contributors and stakeholders could come together to further develop and strengthen the tourism sector in Maldives.