Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom has stated the delays in reopening the Shangri-La Villingili Resort in Addu City is incurring damages on the government.
In response to a question by Parliamentarian Rozaina Adam on the delays in reopening the Shangri-La Villingili Resort which was closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tourism Minister Mausoom noted the resort is operated with 30% shares of the government, which makes the non-operational resort a financial burden for the government too. As such, he noted the government has to pay USD 68 million for the loans taken to cover the damages of non-operation of the resort.
The tourism minister stated the plan is reopen the resort as soon as possible. However, the minister said the resort operator, Addu Investment Private Limited, has not been able to provide a timeline for the reopening of the resort. He added the government is also planning on selling its shares of the resort after bringing an amendment to the Tourism Act to allow a transfer of shares.
The non-operation of the 284-bed Shangri-La Villingili Resort is a major concern of the people of Addu City. As such, many have expressed concern that Addu is not able to reap the benefits of the growth in the tourism industry due to delays in making the resort operational again.