DHIGURAH island in the Maldives is set to become home to the largest tourism project in the country, with 14 room categories and 15 F&B outlets when completed.
Speaking at the Hospitality Investment Conference Indian Ocean in Colombo last week, chairman and managing director of Sun Siyam, Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, announced plans for new properties in the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
This included the 600-room resort on Dhigurah island currently in development, to boast 14 different room categories, 15 F&B outlets, family-friendly accommodations, and an underwater restaurant and wine cellar when it is finished.
Sun Siyam will also expand across Sri Lanka. In addition to the existing Sun Aqua Pasikudah, it will develop an over-water villa resort in Kalpitiya.
The project comes at the perfect time for overseas expansion of Maldivian brands, Siyam said.
“The Maldives has a form of home-grown service culture and industry know-how that is currently not being fully utilised to its full potential domestically, and certainly not on the international stage… Maldivian hospitality can create desire and demand in any region,” he added.
According to Siyam, international travellers are seeking authentic experiences, making it no longer necessary to recreate a Western travel experience in the Maldives, but instead something that is “truly Maldivian”.
Siyam launched his first Maldivian resort in 1998 and manages the The Sun Siyam and Sun Aqua brands, with three luxury properties in the Maldives and one in Sri Lanka.
