Twenty new hotels and 15 new resorts are set to be built in the Maldives after the government decided to add 35 uninhabited islands to its tourism portfolio.
The move will increase the Maldives’ portfolio of resorts by 58 per cent.
Twenty of the 35 leases have been taken up by developers and are set to see the creation of 10 medium range and 10 luxury hotels, to cater for tourists looking for both affordable and bespoke offerings.
The remaining 15 islands have been placed into the care of a newly formed company called the Maldives Tourism Development Corporation, which will oversee the construction of 15 new resorts, some including community integrated hotels – rather than the one resort per island concept which is currently prevalent.
Most of the 35 islands are located in the southernmost four atolls of the Maldives where there is currently very little tourism activity, creating a Southern tourism zone and presenting a second gateway to the Maldives for visitors.
“The Maldives is seeing record numbers of visitors, peaking at around 600,000 annually,” said Dr Mausoom, director general of Maldives Tourism Promotion Board.
“Hotel occupancy is very high at 80 per cent all year round and in time we are very likely to welcome a million visitors a year to some 139 resorts.”
The Maldives’ government has a 45 per cent stake in the Maldives Tourism Development Corporation, with the Maldivian people holding the remaining 55 per cent share. Details: www.visitmaldives.com
