Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed and Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer has held virtual meetings with the leaders of Maldivian tourism industry to discuss future plans for the industry and to listen to their opinions.
Those who attended the virtual meetings with the Ministers included high-ranking officials from Association of Travel Agent (ATA), Divers Association of Maldives (DMA), Guesthouse Association of Maldives (GMA), Association of Yacht Agency (MAYA), National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM), Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), and Equatorial of Travel and Tourism Association (ETTA).
Tourism Minister Ali Waheed discussed the Ministry’s plans to overcome the current COVID-19 crisis, and the best options available to them once the tourism industry re-opens.
Representative of the associations who attended the virtual meetings expressed their own concerns about the current circumstances, and highlighted the important tasks to be done when the industry re-opens.
In the meeting with Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer, industry leaders voiced concerns regarding the government’s COVID-19 relief loans.
The spread of COVID-19 in the country has taken a heavy toll on the tourism industry, with temporary shutdown of all resorts and guesthouses, and many tourism workers out of jobs or forced to take no-pay leaves.
