By Guest Author Sithath Abdulla
Do you want your job back? Do you want to get things back to normal? Well the global pandemic has done decimated Maldives tourism sector.
Let’s not kid ourselves the Maldives is where it is because of the beautiful islands and waters that we have.
These tourists have all invested in the Maldives. They’ve invested their hard earned money for a week or two for a huge return or profit of tranquility, luxury and beauty.
Trust is always important but now when a disease is rampant worldwide people are understandably concerned.
Looking at the basics of what Maldivian visitors want: stunning islands, weather and food are pretty much it. These visitors are our national resource and we have to look after them with everything we have. Getting ill in a foreign country is the worst thing for us and that news will do us all harm.
The Maldives can’t generate headlines. New resort open. Underwater restaurant or an ice room really is irrelevant. It’s all been done before.
The world follows luxury, everyone wants it. The private jets and yachts on Instagram sells the Maldives.
Is there something new we can tap into for this exclusive sector of the Maldivian travel market?
There is one. How do you get from your private jet to the resort without going on a flying bus, which is what floatplanes are?
When mega-yachts turn up they have helicopters on them. The rich use these sophisticated aircraft to fly around. They land with their jet and transfer in privacy to their destination.
The Maldives has to allow people to fly privately to islands. The resorts all want helicopters.
Helicopters would allow exclusive travelers to travel in isolation and you can’t social distance on a floatplane.
The world has moved on and in the Maldives have to realize that the rich fly on helicopters not floatplanes.
We need helicopters to transfer our luxury guests in safety and privacy. One VIP family at a time. This is where our tourism business will come from and what we need to restart the economy.
It’s high time that resorts are allowed to accept helicopters.
Helicopters are used safely the world over. Need an ambulance in the US and they may send a helicopter. Want to fly from home to the golf course then fly by helicopter. The technology in these helicopters is incredible. Like any aircraft, operated correctly, they are safe.
The Maldives has to introduce helicopters. The floatplanes captured the imagination of tourist in all the original Maldives tourism brochures. It’s time to update the image.
So we say bring VIP helicopters to the Maldives. They will move our VIP guests in luxury and isolation. Our market is defined by what tourists want. Give it to them now to start getting your jobs back.
Note: This article is an op-ed piece by guest author Sithath Abdulla.
