Moosa Nasih, former President of the Guesthouse Association of Maldives (GAM) has questioned the present government’s promise to develop the local island tourism in the Maldives. According to his statement, the bookings made in guesthouses for August is being cancelled and even the future bookings are being changed to other destinations.
As per the Guidelines of Reopening Tourism in the Maldives, guesthouses that are located in inhabited islands were to open in August. With the reopening of borders on 15th July, resorts, hotels and liveaboards operating in uninhabited islands were allowed to restart operations with the necessary safety and hygiene measures.
However, on 25th July, Health Minister Abdulla Ameen revealed that guesthouses are most likely be reopened in September. This was due to the current Covid-19 situation in the island nation. There has been a drastic increase in local cases. According to the latest updates by the Health Protection Agency, the country has a total 3,567 cases confirmed so far. The delay in reopening guesthouses would definitely affect the island tourism adversely.
