The Parliament of the Maldives has passed the proposal not to impose any additional taxes or fees on tourists once borders reopen in the Maldives.
The proposal was one of the amendments brought to the report prepared by the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs in relation to the Maldives Safe Tourism Guideline formulated by the Ministry of Tourism. The report was passed unanimously by the parliament with the amendments proposed by parliamentarians.
The guideline of the tourism ministry initially stated USD 50,000 would be charged as a special fee to allow private jets and chartered flights to land in the Maldives. In addition, a special fee of USD 100 was proposed to be charged from each tourist, while an additional USD 100 was to be charged for COVID-19 testing. However, these fees have been removed upon the decision of the parliament.
Parliamentarians who took part in the deliberations on the report stated charging additional fees on tourists would not be the right way forward as the country looks to welcome back tourists and rebuild the tourism industry. They noted it would be best to find alternative means to generate income to the country.
The guideline formulated by the tourism ministry includes the procedures to be followed from the time the tourist arrives in the Maldives to the time of departure from the Maldives. As such, the guideline includes instructions on how resorts, guesthouses and safaris can ensure the safety and well-being of tourists as well as staff working at the facilities.
The government has announced plans to resume tourism operations in July. Maldivian borders have been closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.