THE Maldives, after 40 years as a one-island, one-resort destination catering to the upscale market, is promoting mid-market offerings under a new tourism policy.
Adam Mohamed, director, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, revealed: “We are moving to a vertical tourism concept with high-rise accommodation facilities. We also need beds in the mid-market category.”
Deputy tourism minister, Hussain Lirar, told TTG e-Daily that a reason for adopting the vertical concept is that the current resorts do not have any capacity to expand, as by regulation, they can only use 30 per cent of the island for infrastructure development.
In July, the government launched Thumburi Integrated Resort Development on the uninhabited twin islands of Thumburi and Hulhiyandhoo in Laamu Atoll in northern Maldives, to build 200 rooms in 23 units under three different categories, including guesthouses, and a few four- to five-storey hotels.
The project is due for completion in 2015 and aims to offer cheaper accommodation.
The new, focused mid-market offerings vis-à-vis Thumbiri, aimed at Asians, especially the Chinese, and European travellers, is eagerly anticipated by the trade.
“There is a huge demand for mid-market offerings from the Chinese and European travellers. It would also help bring down prices in the upmarket range,” said Shafraz Fazley, managing director of Viluxor Holidays, which handles a sizeable segment of the Chinese market.
He said having several hotels on one island can also add new experiences, since Thumburi is on uninhabited islands where hotels would be allowed to sell alcohol, whereas currently many guesthouses and hotels are found in Male and other islands where liquor and pork are prohibited, along with bikinis or skimpy outfits.
According to Michelle Flake, co-founder of Koamas Luxury Escapes, honeymooners love to return to the Maldives with their families four or five years later, but if there are only luxury resorts this would not be affordable to them.
“For tourism to continue to grow in any destination there must be options for all clients worldwide, no matter what budget,” she opined.
Mohamed concurred that there are a lot of people who like to visit the Maldives but cannot afford it, adding that the domestic airport at Laamu Atoll will be upgraded to an international one to offer direct flights to Europe and the East.
