Spokesperson at the President's Office Mohamed Mabrook Azeez has stated the government is providing financial leeway to over 50 tourist resorts affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a press conference at the President's Office, Spokesperson Mabrook said the government is working to keep businesses open, since the tourism industry provides employment for many Maldivians. The spokesperson said efforts to assist resorts that are financially affected does not include helping specific individuals due to their position or status. He said the decision to provide financial leeway was made after discussions with the Economic Council. He also said the Economic Council has decided to give around 50 resorts more time to pay their lease and taxes to keep the resorts in operation, since the businesses have been unable to pay their lease.
The Maldivian tourism industry came to a halt after the closure of borders in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the government initially predicted over a million tourist arrivals in 2020, the final figure recorded by the end of the year was 555,213.
The tourism industry is now on a recovery path, with tourist arrivals steadily increasing this year. The latest statistics from the Ministry of Tourism shows that over 389,000 tourists have visited the Maldives so far this year.