The United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative to the Maldives Shoko Noda states that with the expanding of guest house businesses in the atolls would see a positive end effect on the livelihoods of the citizens.
Addressing the keynote on the inaugural ceremony of the Dhiraagu Guest House Maldives Conference held in Paradise Island Resort, the United Nations Resident Coordinator highlighted that guest house business is an important aspect of the Maldivian tourism industry. She further stated that with the expansion of the guesthouse business, more job opportunities also would be opened for the locals which would in turn have positive effects on the livelihood of the citizens.
A total of 200 guesthouse operators and 50 travel agents participated in the conference this year. Organisers of the event, Maldives Gataways, stated that next year the conference would be escalated to a grander scale by rebranding the conference to Guest House Maldives Expo.
445 guest houses has been registered in Maldives, with actively operating guest houses reaching to 443, by July 2017, according to the latest statistics of Ministry of Tourism.