A sit down with the tourism minister: discussion on plans for the future

The current pitfall that the tourism industry has fallen into is unlike any other such obstacle the industry has previously experienced. In the midst of such a critical situation, the Tourism Ministry's administration was recently taken over by Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, who had previously filled the position during former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom’s administration. The first Maldivian to attain a PhD in tourism development, Mausoom completed his higher education in the United Kingdom’s Birmingham University of Publicity under a scholarship granted by the Villa Group, whose founder is also the leader of Jumhooree Party to which Mausoom now belongs. His thesis was on ‘enclave micro island tourism’.

Mausoom, who completed his Masters degree in Hotel Management, worked as a senior lecturer at Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies for a number of years. He also served as the Environment Minister as well as headed the Tourism Promotion Board. Below are some excerpts of an interview given by the minister to AVAS’s business journalist Mohamed Afrah.

The economy has been hit hard [as a result of the pandemic], the reason being the less number of tourists visiting the Maldives. What is your vision in rebuilding the industry?

I am giving utmost priority to find a way to kickstart all halted businesses offering tourism services in the Maldives. Many businesses were closed [due to the pandemic], and several resorts have resumed service now. Liveaboard vessels have also resumed operation. We are now awaiting the time when some local hotels and guesthouses can reopen. We hope for guest houses to reopen from October 15 onwards. Once these places are reopened, and when a large number of tourists begin to arrive, the industry will improve. It is those working in the industry that will play the most important role in improving the tourism sector. We [the tourism ministry] are working together with them.

The most important step right now is to increase connectivity or increase the frequency of flights. Is the government working towards increasing the number of flights?

We are actively working with Singapore and Italy [to increase flights]. We are also in discussion with other countries to pursue such an arrangement under a business model. The most important thing right now is to establish point travel. If we consider the current concept, we are following the oldest tourism model - an option where charter flights operate on a fixed schedule. Therefore, we are in discussion to utilize other airports. Gan International Airport is one of the locations being discussed; this is in addition to Velana International Airport. Hanimaadhoo Airport is also an option. All international airports are pretty much options. The first step is establishing point to point travel agreements.

The Maldives is naturally formed in such a way that its islands are scattered throughout. Community spread of COVID-19 is mostly present in capital Male’. Do you believe this to be an advantage to the tourism industry? Will this have any benefits when tourism reopens once again?

It is a significant advantage. Our tourism model is shaped in such a way that tourism can go on without dependency on the Greater Male; Region. When all these premises [tourism properties] are closed, it is not only the owner of the business that suffers setbacks; it also affects the employees and their families. Although some employers may pay a portion of their employees' salaries, others are terminating employees. Therefore, we are working to re-hire all those who have lost their jobs. When tourism improves, all other businesses will also thrive.

Tourism industry has suffered significant losses. Has the ministry conducted any research or assessment on the losses caused to the industry?

The state revenue has decreased by 50% from all sectors. We will have to calculate the losses to the industry. Tourist arrivals have declined by 70 percent, countless people have lost their jobs. Tourism industry is heavily linked to factors such as service charge, tips, etc. Generally, in addition to the losses suffered by tourism business owners, the losses suffered by tourism industry employees is much, much greater. Hopefully, we will conduct a study on this. We are already in discussion with UNWTO and JICA to conduct such a study. This is very important. We need to know these figures. For now, all we can say is that the losses are huge. We cannot accurately give a figure in USD at the moment.

It is widely believed by Maldivian citizens that the Tourism Ministry is always the most corrupt ministry [under any government]. Many of those working in the industry believe the ministry is not run properly. There are delays in responding to letters and other documents [among other problems]. How do you plan to improve the image of the ministry?

One of my main aims is to improve the image of the ministry. It is an important part of the plan. Even now, an operational audit is being conducted at the ministry. We are receiving assistance from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) with the audit. We are making sure that the ministry is run according to the policies established, and we are bringing changes to the organizational structure to enhance the services of the ministry. We do require some changes. Some say the [positive] effects of the changes are already evident. It will take around six weeks for the changes to become more apparent to me. At that point of time, the changes will become apparent to the industry. It is only then that all obtaining services would feel satisfied, although not all requests may be achieved. The government has specific targets. For example; in answering letters within three days, our target will aim even further. Even if three days are granted to respond to inquiries, we hope to do it within an hour; or immediately give a response where possible. We will carry out the administration of the ministry within the boundaries of running such entities. Today, time is money. Therefore, we need to expedite our services. The Tourism Ministry is very behind in technology. We hope to become more technologically advanced by mid-2020.

You are very experienced in the tourism industry. Is your experience in the industry relevant to your current work?

The difference today is that the world has become smaller. When I first worked in the Tourism Ministry, we didn't even have fax machines. At that time, we used telex. Now, with the advancement of technology, everything can reach the whole world in an instant. Even videos. This is the biggest change; we have to utilize this advancement.

Before, if we were to discuss something practical, we had to decide on a time in advance for everyone to sit down and have a discussion. Now, it takes less than half an hour for everyone to gather and meet on platforms such as Zoom. One thing that has not changed is that the tourism industry requires the participation of everyone. We work together, we solve problems together. The leaders of the tourism industry is the private sector. One of the most satisfying aspects that I am witnessing today is the cooperation received from the industry.

Experience is very important. My recent experience working in the diplomatic ministry is also useful. But every day is a day where we learn new things. This is what I tell employees of the ministry - always learn new things. The staff at the ministry are very capable and compotent. What I advise them is to always seek knowledge every single day. Even if one has studied upto very high standards, others’ wisdom and input is equally important.

While the government is preparing to reopen guesthouses on October 15, this itself is a huge challenge. How many guest houses will be opened initially?

I think it is still a little early to give an exact figure. We hope to open as many guest houses as possible. The tourism facilities that are already open are making a huge sacrifice. They are aware that a profit cannot be generated immediately upon reopening. The facilities may have to operate at a loss for a while. But we acknowledge their efforts from the bottom of our hearts, the work they are doing to ensure that the facilities can be reopened.

We want our guest house model to be an example to the rest of the world when we finally reopen. Meaning, our model is no joke. There are two main components to it, the first being ensuring the safety of staff, citizens and guests. The second component is ensuring that the economy improves - for this, we require cooperation from island councils. Councils have to agree to certain decisions, and create awareness among the island population. The responsibilities of guest houses are also crucial. We are happy to note that it is the local guest houses that are leading the efforts [to reopen]. We wish for the guest houses to thrive and for the people to benefit from it. We will ensure that all guidelines are followed from a-z before granting permits for guest houses to reopen.