Over 14,000 tourist beds are still in development and remain incomplete, the proposed amendments to the Tourism Act has revealed.
The Tourism Ministry previously stated that 70 tourism properties in development still remain incomplete. However, while discussing the bill on proposed amendments to the Tourism Act at the Parliament, main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s house majority leader, Ali Azim said 85 tourism properties remain incomplete since 2012. Azim said this includes 61 islands and 24 lagoons, amounting to 14,650 tourist beds. Azim said a large amount of funds that are payable to the state are being withheld as a result of the delays, and said that the new amendments will allow the property developers to change its model to integrated tourism.
According to statistics released by the Tourism Ministry, over 150 resorts were in operation before the Maldives closed its borders in March as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of tourist beds were above 50,000.
