Tag: Tourism

Q&A: French tourist Mary Kivers

Minivan News interviewed French tourist Mary Kivers, a travel agent visiting the Maldives from France. Kivers came to the Maldives interested in seeing local life, and she shared her perceptions of a country that is both a world-class vacation destination and a unique victim of climate change. Kivers was randomly chosen for the interview, and nothing was known about her or her travel plans in advance.

Eleanor Johnstone: What made you decide to come to the Maldives?

Mary Kivers: When I’m traveling I just look for the cheapest opportunity because I have a promotion as a travel agent. So I saw Male’, and I thought, “Maldives, it’s one of my dreams to go there”, especially because I am a diver, so I decided to go. But then it was pretty hard to find accommodation at a good price.

EJ: How was your trip planned?

MK: I looked on the Internet a lot, and I knew I wanted to go to a local island. I found three websites: one was rather expensive and another never called back, but the third did a package with activities including a boat trip, and full board on Guraidhoo in South Male Atoll at a great price.

EJ: What was your first impression of the Maldives?

MK: When I arrived, I thought it was really nice. First, I went to a resort because I wanted to go diving. So I spent two days and two nights in a resort. I knew I wouldn’t like it too much though, because tourists stick together and it’s a honeymoon destination, so as a girl traveling alone the resort scene can get boring. But I talked to the staff who were very friendly, even though work was hard for them during Ramazan.

I talked with some Sri Lankan staff, who said they spent seven months here and three months at home, which seems very hard for them. But otherwise, the beach was clean, the nature is perfect and the sea is really amazing. Two days, though – it was enough.

EJ: Can you tell me about the local island experience?

MK: Well, when we arrived on Guraidhoo the manager took us to see the tourist beach. There’s only one beach for tourists to wear bikinis, which is hidden away from islanders. Everywhere else, you have to be appropriately dressed for the culture.

Afterwards, every day we took boats to see inhabited islands. But it’s a pity because there’s a lot of garbage and plastic bottles, shoes, everything really, everywhere. There are no trash bins anywhere, even on the local islands. There’s a large amount of garbage, and sometimes they burn it, but it’s right near the sea. There’s the beach, then the sea, then the garbage.

EJ: Where does the garbage come from?

MK: From the people on the island. At first I thought it was all from the boats, but on my last day I really wanted to see the village and local inhabitants so I decided to go there instead of taking the tourist boat. It was really great, I was walking around and everyone was inviting me to sit with them or eat in their house.

Even though it was Ramazan, they gave me food and drinks. They were very nice, even though they don’t see many tourists. It’s funny – children speak English but the older people don’t speak English. It’s now two years since they got a ferry, so before that there wasn’t a ferry or a teacher. Now it’s getting better. In this island for example they have two schools – one for ages 2-6, and the other for ages 6-14. After 14, they have to go to Male’ or another island. The government will pay for housing on another island. But because they have many children, I think it can be hard to get everyone educated.

EJ: You’ve seen the resort side of the Maldives, the local island side, and now you’re on the capital island. How would you describe Male?

MK: Big city, lots of buildings… it’s funny because people look at you  weirdly, because I think as I’m a woman alone so I stand out. But they’re very nice people. Yeah, it’s a nice city but it’s built above garbage, they put the garbage anywhere, there’s no trash, no bin. It’s funny because we who live abroad think that Male’ will be an example for the world about pollution and everything, since global warming is important here. But when you see the inhabitants in the Maldives, they put anything into the sea. It was funny, on Guraidhoo one of the girls had a diaper, you know for the baby, and I asked her where she was going. She said, “I am going to the bin,” and she went and threw it in the sea.

EJ: Really?!

MK: Yeah, I know! I even talked a little to the people about garbage, recycling, pollution, but I think it will be a long time for that change to happen. But it’s too bad, I think the sea is so nice, but when there is trash it distracts from nature and the sea.

EJ: So overall, how would you recommend the different parts of the Maldives to other travelers?

MK: Well for me, I prefer local islands for sure. Because you can really get into the culture and see how they live, and it’s more alive. Resorts are like a postcard. It’s just right, perfect…. but it’s not the real country. I guess if you like luxury and honeymoons it’s perfect, but for me it’s a little bit dead. Tourists aren’t smiling much, and I don’t like that, personally.

I would recommend people stay on a local island. I think I will do a post online about how someone can do that, because it was so hard to find a place where I could stay. So if I post on a forum and chat about where to stay in the local islands of the Maldives, maybe I can make it easier for other travelers.

EJ: What do the people you know think of the Maldives?

MK: I met a group of French people on the local island, and I think they were just happy to stay on the boat. They didn’t seem to really want to see the locals and the traditions.

EJ: Thank you, I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay, and have a safe flight home.

MK: You’re welcome.

Tourism is the biggest contributor of foreign currency to the Maldives, bringing in over 700,000 visitors each year. Some resorts, such as Soneva Fushi, appeal to the eco-minded tourist by providing environmentally conscious services. But waste remains an issue for the Maldives. In 2009, the UK’s Guardian newspaper reported that 330 tons of waste are transported to Thilafushi island for processing. Thilafushi is now commonly known as ‘garbage island’.

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President signs GST bill into law

President Mohamed Nasheed has ratified the “Goods and Services Tax Bill” (GST), which was passed at Parliament’s 34th meeting of the term last Monday. The President signed the bill into law at a function on Fuvahmulah today.

The GST bill was published today in the government’s gazette.

The tax bill is divided by type of sale. Sales are defined as either tourism goods and services, or goods and services for sectors other than tourism.

The points addressed by the GST bill include collection, exemptions, duration of taxation, methods of calculation, and registration of taxable activities.

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Key taxation bill put before parliament for vote

Parliament will vote on Monday whether to introduce one of the government’s four key pieces of tax legislation that it has promised the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will help the country claw its way out of a crippling budget deficit.

The combined goods and services tax (GST) bill contains a general GST of 5 percent, and an increase to the existing tourism GST (TGST) from 3.5 percent to 6 percent.

Parliament voted on July 18 to send to committee four bills of the government’s economic reform package: the GST bill, an income tax, a corporate profit tax and a bill governing excise and reduction of import duties.

At the time all four bills received more than 50 votes apiece from the 72 MPs present and voting, hinting at broad cross-party acceptance of the need for taxation. Of the 72 MPs acting as a committee, 51 voted approval of the bill with the proposed amendments.

To expedite the process, an 11-member sub-committee was chosen to review the bills with five MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), three MPs of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim, one MP of the minority opposition People’s Alliance (PA) and Dhuvafaru MP Mohamed Zubair as an Independent MP.

On Monday, parliament will vote whether to finally pass the GST bill when it is presented to the chamber.

Most of the many amendments proposed to the bill by the committee are administrative, but several concern additional commodities to be exempted from GST, including petrol, diesel, cooking gas, telecoms and adult diapers.

The amendments also replace the government’s proposed start date of October 1 to within a month of whenever the legislation is published in the government’s gazette (following presidential ratification).

Following consultations with the opposition and the apparent support of 51 members for the bill, the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) issued a pamphlet declaring it no longer supported the bill.

“They already essentially voted to support it, but now the DRP are bringing out statements and newspapers interviews saying don’t support it, and they have issued a whip line for the party not to support it [in the vote tomorrow],” said a source in the President’s Office.

The source said the government was also hoping the amendments to the Export-Import Act of 1979 would also be passed, as the GST was intended to replace it and crossover would see the same commodities being taxed twice.

At its press conference today, the DRP handed out a booklet titled “DRP’s response to the government’s fiscal and economic nuisance” with seven main points against the economic reform package.

The DRP objected to a projected growth of Rf1 billion in the budget for 2013 and expressed concern with expenditure out of the budget reaching 66 percent of GDP in 2009 – compared to 32 percent in Seychelles and 21.6 percent in Mauritius – claiming that the purpose of the new taxes was to “find money to influence the public for the 2013 [presidential] election.”

On the second point, the DRP notes that the 27 unemployment rate “proudly announced by the President” meant that 1 out of 4 people were unemployed, advocating diversification of industries to increase productivity. The DRP observed that the government’s policy for controlling inflation and spurring job growth was vague and unclear.

Thirdly, the DRP would oppose the introduction of a personal income tax on the grounds that the country’s unique geography, limited natural and human resources, and high cost for investments in the country did not make a direct tax advisable in the current economic climate.

While the government proposed that only those who earn above Rf30,000 would have to pay the tax, the DRP noted that all citizens would have to file tax returns.

“The charts of the government’s fiscal and economic nuisance package show Rf300 million will be received in 2012 from income taxes and 475 million in 2013,” it reads. “Instead of making all citizens file tax returns in order to earn 475 million two years after taxes are introduced, it would be far better to reduce the government’s useless expenditure by that amount.”

It adds that administrative costs for collecting income taxes from Maldivians living abroad would be disproportionate to the returns.

As its fourth point, the DRP noted that the General GST would affect small businesses such as cornershops, cafes and teashops, which would “need a lot of preparation” to maintain accounts and provide customer’s statements showing the GST percentage.

Morever, taxing “total value of business transactions” would not be possible with GST at zero percent for some items.

Considering the potential “administrative confusion” and the country’s heavy reliance on imports, the DRP argues that levying a customs duty at the entry point to the country was more effective.

The DRP is also against abolishing the Foreign Investment Act as it would remove protectionist restrictions, urging instead “amendments to the law to pave the way for foreign parties to invest in the Maldives and conduct businesses”.

The DRP “could not agree to sell the country’s remaining assets to the MDP’s friends” after “[losing control of] the country’s main gate, the international airport, the national telecom service, and Maldivian seas and shallows.”

Proposed amendments to the Immigration Act was meanwhile intended to “provide an opportunity for MDP’s friends to settle in the country and establish a foothold.”

Offering residential visas, it continues, would worsen unemployment and crop up “more challenges” for Maldivian professional workers.

On its final point, the DRP claims that the fiscal responsibility bill was “a scheme” to negate parliament’s amendments to the Public Finance Act and “reclaim the fiscal discretion offered to councils in the Decentralisation Act”.

In prior meetings with the government, the President’s Office source told Minivan News that “we agreed that state expenditure needed to be lowered, something the IMF was also asking for, but they mentioned none of these [other] things. We’re keeping our side of the bargain, but it’s hard to reach an agreement with them when they keep changing their minds.”

Unless the bills are passed before parliament goes for a month’s recess on Tuesday, the government may miss its commitments made to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on announcing the economic reforms package. These included:

  • Raise import duties on pork, tobacco, alcohol and plastic products by August 2011 (requires Majlis approval);
  • Introduce a general goods and services tax (GST) of 5 percent applicable to all sectors other than tourism, electricity, health and water (requires Majlis approval);
  • Raise the Tourism Goods and Services Tax (TGST) from 3.5 percent to 6 percent from January 2012, and to 8 percent in January 2013 (requires Majlis approval);
  • Pass an income tax bill in the Majlis by no later than January 2012;
  • Ensure existing bed tax of US$8 dollars a night remains until end of 2013;
  • Reduce import duties on certain products from January 2011;
  • Freeze public sector wages and allowances until end of 2012;
  • Lower capital spending by 5 percent

At the announcement of the economic reform package, Governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) Fazeel Najeeb acknowledged that “there will be some eyebrows raised and some reservations on the measures – this is inevitable in any country changing its taxation regime.”

“There are instabilities and I hope these will be short term. But I think what we are doing is in the interest of the economy and will bring it out of the mess it is in. I think it is necessary that we act together now,” Najeeb said.

The IMF package, he noted, represented “a joint commitment by the Ministry of Finance and the central bank: a state affair in the interests of the economy and the country. Everybody in the country realises and recognises that there needs to be a change in the status quo. The status quo is a fiscal stance that is unmanageable.”

Asked whether he felt the new taxes were likely to be passed by parliament, “I think when it comes down to the details of what and how the legislation takes shape, that should be left to Majlis. What I can say is that status quo needs to change, and I don’t think this can be only reduction [in expenditure]. There needs to be a considerable amount of income increase. A combination of revenue as well as expenditure.”

Last week, at a launching ceremony for the “Fiscal and Economic Reform Programme,” Mohamed Umar Manik, chairman of the Maldives Association of the Tourism Industry (MATI), observed that a sustainable source of government revenue was necessary for providing public goods and services.

“Today we have democracy in our country, but democracy can only be strengthened if we are able to deliver,” said the Chairman of Universal Enterprises. “To do this, our government must have sources of income. A detailed reform agenda has been proposed for this. In my view, it is an ideal reform programme.”

Sunland Travels Director Hussain Hilmy stated that the Maldives’ “economic policy and legal framework needs to undergo modernisation and reform.”

“We in the business community welcome the bold initiative being undertaken to carry out a programme of comprehensive economic and fiscal reform,” Hilmy said.

He added that businesses were “delighted” with the government’s policy of a “shift away from import duties as a major source of government revenue.”

Meanwhile, speaking to Raajje TV last night, Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz said that the proposed tax system should have been in place 10 years ago, and that any further delay was unnecessary.

Inaz said the additional revenue was needed to pay civil servant salaries, and provide services such as water, power, independent institutions, sewerage, hospitals, schools “and the salaries of Majlis members and their committee allowances.”

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Local artist creates first Maldivian jazz album, presents to President

The Maldives’ first contemporary jazz album has been presented to President Mohamed Nasheed by Maldivian artist Shameem Mohamed (Shambe).

The album, Feshun, is an arrangement of guitar, saxophone, drums and bass. It also features Maldivian vocalist Mariyam Rifga Rasheed. The group of six musicians, who studied at the International College of Music, in Malaysia, worked on the music collaboratively, said Shambe.

“I created the main idea, but kept the freedom for each and every person to add their own ideas to the composition.”

Shambe, who majored in composition and contemporary jazz at the college, told Minivan News that after graduating from university he wanted to do something new for the Maldivian music industry. “I looked around and realised that the kind of music I was learning and composing wasn’t available in the Maldives. So I decided to put my mother tongue [Dhivehi] over a jazz fusion and call it Maldivian Jazz.”

Shambe said he had originally wanted to do the album with Maldivian musicians, but limited resources forced him to record in Malaysia.”There are some very good musicians in the Maldives,” he said, “but the recording studios here are not advanced enough to match the work being done by other groups today.”

The group began production for the album last October in Malaysia. They played a live concert on Malé in July, and have lately been on break for Ramadan. Shambe reports a good response from his home audience.

Shambe cited  the group Cosmo Squad as an inspiration, and said the album pulls from funk, latino, bossanova, samba and swing styles. He noted that because Dhivehi words are generally short, the group stretched them to create “a more laid back feel.”

“It may sound like it’s not clear, but that’s how it should be in order to feel like jazz. I think the effect will help make the music more accessible to audiences across the world,” said Shambe.

The group’s agent, Mohamed Bassm Adam, told Minivan News that Feshun is targeted for the tourism industry. He thinks the album could encourage other local artists who are interested in Western music styles.

The album has also drawn local attention. Shambe said he was surprised to see a good turnout at the presentation ceremony last night. “I was actually a bit nervous,” he said. The President’s Office reported that the album would refresh the Maldivian music market.

“The President is an admirer of all music genres, especially  jazz and the blues,” said President Mohamed Nasheed’s Press Secretary, Mohamed Zuhair.

Shambe said the group will be returning to Malaysia at the end of August to perform and promote the album. He said he would like to market it globally. “It will take some time to promote it, and I will need guidance and advice, but I hope that with time it will work out.”

Feshun is a product of the Maldives, and copyrighted under Universal Publishing Sdn Bhd (Malaysia). Artist Shameem Mohamed is signed under StarMount Records (Malaysia).

The album is available in music shops and online for rf200, and will soon be available in resorts priced from US$20.’

To listen to sample tracks, visit Feshun’s Facebook page

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China leads Maldives’ 18 percent tourism boom

Over 700,000 tourists visited the Maldives in the first seven months of 2011, the majority of visitors from China.

The Tourism Ministry has released data showing that the number of tourists who visited the Maldives between January and July 2011 increased by 18.3 percent to 520,483. This was compared to the 439,864 tourists who visited the Maldives during the same period last year.

Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) Secretary General, Mohamed Maleeh Jamal, told Minivan News that the timing of Europe’s economic decline matches that of the growing Chinese market. Asia’s high season corresponds with Europe’s low season, he said, and resorts are now catering more to Chinese tourists to keep business up.

Jamal also noted that airlines such as Qatar Airways had increased direct service to the Maldives in the last 10 months. He also noted that more airports are being constructed closer to resort islands, such as in Baa Atoll.

“The President has also decided to increase the marketing budget from US$1.5 million to US$7 million, since we expect the industry’s growth to continue,” said the MATATO secretary general.

Statistics show that Chinese tourists dominated the market in the first seven months with 103,734 individuals, accounting for 19.9 percent of the total arrivals. The United Kingdom was the second-largest contributor to tourism arrivals, composing 11.7 percent of the market.

Jamal forecasted “phenomenal growth” in the Chinese market, and estimated that the Chinese would account for 40 percent of the total tourists in coming years.

The Maldives currently hosts over 100 resorts boasting a total of 22,000 beds. Jamal said 3-4 more resorts were currently under construction, and noted that it was important “to always have excess demand and limited rooms to keep the appeal of the Maldives up.”

Secretary General of the Maldives Association of the Tourism Industry (MATI), Ibrahim Mohamed Sim, was more guarded on the issue. Sim told Minivan News that “we are holding steady in growth, but the market looks mixed since the decline of the US economy could affect our traditional European markets.”

Italy and the UK, formerly leading contributors to the Maldivian tourism industry, have declined, said Sim, but Germany was holding steady.

Sim said the demand from China was significant, and that the Maldives “is in a very lucky position to have the chance to meet that demand.”

Sources in the Chinese media and Mandarin-language tourism forums have meanwhile noted the rise of practices such as segregation of Chinese visitors from other guests at meal times.

Sim commented that although he did not believe there was segregation, the Chinese “stand out, they come here for a different reason than most tourists. They do not come here to sun tan, they come here to see a different place.” He noted that some resorts were also designed to specifically appeal to different groups.

Another recent event in the Maldives’ tourism industry was its withdrawal from the New7Wonders competition.

Jamal told Minivan News, “we think it was a loss that the Maldives pulled out. New7Wonders was a marketing tool, and major tourism companies were competing for the award.”

However he said he did not think that the Maldives’ decision had affected the tourism industry.

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Resort proposal ‘not fully approved’, claims national planning council

National Planning Council has discussed a US$20 million proposal by Mohamed ‘Sim’ Ibrahim to develop two resorts in Malé Atoll, Haveeru reports.

Council reports said the proposal, which was submitted on June 19, was not fully approved.

Ibrahim is the Secretary General of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industries (MATI), and the husband of Tourism Minister Dr Maryam Zulfa.

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Sri Lanka must take cue from Maldives’ tourism tactic: Sunday Times

Sri Lanka’s The Sunday Times reviews successes and risks in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, highlighting the Maldives as an example of successful marketing in a tight economy.

“Sri Lanka could take a cue from the Maldives where active promotion in going on to promote the destination, additionally now as a mid-market destination, from a high-end location. Resorts in the Maldives charges rates from US$200-300 upwards to over $1000 per night, and the authorities are now looking to attract the mid-market clientele which is also Sri Lanka’s market – though the two markets have different attractions.”

Adverse publicity is a weakness for Sri Lankan tourism, the Times noted, citing the Maldives as an example of proactive marketing in a time of change.

“[The Maldives] islands are attracting thousands of Chinese, which has made China the biggest source market for the Maldives in the past two years. According to one travel agent in the Maldives, ‘every agent is scrambling to get a slice of the Chinese market.’ The Chinese are seen as the biggest tourism source market of the world while India is also becoming a huge travel market. Sri Lankan hotels are still western-oriented with a few frills to meet the needs of other travellers.”

Read more

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Government signs MoU for first national marine park sponsored by private individual

The Ministry of Housing and the Environment has signed a memorandum of understanding with a private individual, Mohamed Hameed, to create the Maldives’ first comprehensive national marine park.

The park, which Hameed says was conceived in the 1980s, is designed to protect nine islets in South Miladhunmadulu Atoll Edhudhfarru.

Hameed proposed his plan to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration in 2007, but says the current administration has been more supportive and would be overseeing the project.

The government has asked that the plan involve minimal intrusion to the natural environment. “I would expect the government to have a majority share in the program,” said Hameed, explaining that a foundation would be established for the park project.

Hameed said he has been advised by scientists from all over the world, and describes the Edhudhfarru area as “fragile and sensitive, with more water than land, and many unique flora and fauna.”

Hameed said the Marine National Park will provide day trips only, and visitors will pay a fee. An underwater observatory is also expected to draw researchers and tourists alike.

Bluepeace, a local environmental NGO, voted last night to support the project.

“We are very supportive of the concept,” said the NGO’s founder, Ali Rilwan. “I think it is very important that private sector individuals get involved in conservation.”

Rilwan said the Edhudhfarru area is very rich in biodiversity, adding that Bluepeace “expects [the foundation] to be much better than most places because of Hameed’s vast knowledge and interest in the place.”

Rilwan noted that this was the first time a private individual had proposed a conservation project to the government, and that the marine park would be the first national park to host a research center. The land itself will be given to the project’s foundation, which has yet to be established.

Tourism Minister Dr Mariyam Zulfa said the park was intended “not just for preserving species for people to see, like in a zoo. There will be activities going on with the research.”

International groups had been inquiring about such a park for years, she noted.

“The park should have been established a long time ago, because tourism in the Maldives is based on sustainable development,” she said.

Director of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Mohamed Naeem said the organisation had not been officially informed of the project, although he understood it had been given to a private company, and said it was “too early to know what to expect from Mr  Hameed.”

Hameed has meanwhile said he hopes locals will become involved in the project. “A national park can only be preserved with the collaboration of the community, and the community should not feel they are deprived of use of the area in any way,” he said.

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UNDP to fund US$3.3 million project to help tourism sector adapt to climate change

The Ministry of Tourism and UNDP have signed a US$3.3 million project to help the Maldives tourism sector adapt to climate change.

UN Resident Representative Andrew Cox said that as tourism represented 30 percent of the economy and 60 percent of the country’s foreign exchange receipts, “the future of the Maldives is wrapped up in the tourism sector.”

“Right now there is a great deal of variety in how resorts handle the environment and climate change issues,” Cox said. “Some have this as their focus, the basis of their product, while others, it’s fair to say, do not.”

The project, he explained, would seek to help the Ministry of Tourism develop its own regulation, in partnership with the industry.

As well as developing building and planning codes for new resorts, the project included scope for developing environmentally-sound physical infrastructure, energy efficient buildings and practices, climate resilient fresh water management, flood-proofing, waste water management, protection of coastal ridges, reefs and vegetative belts, and diversification of energy sources.

“We are also looking at assessing market-based risk financing,” Cox said. “The Maldives is very vulnerable to natural hazards and disasters, but there are insurance products that can reduce that risk.”

The project will establish “at least 10” community-based adaption projects between tourism-associated communities and operators.

“We often hear of tensions between resorts and communities,” Cox noted, during the signing ceremony today. “This [project] will focus on common responsibility, the management of common resources. What is good for a resort can be good for the island next to it. Rather than have a charity relationship between resorts and local islands, we want to try to build stronger partnerships.”

Asked why the tourism sector required UN involvement if the funding of such adaptation was in the long-term financial interest of the industry, Cox noted that “what we have seen in other countries is that something that seems obvious doesn’t always happen. But this is not something that will be done without the partnership of the industry, and it will depend on investment from the private sector.

“One particular area is decarbonisation – hundreds of millions of dollars will have to be spent on energy, and the cost equation of carbon based fuels is going to become more and more negative so resorts will have to go in the direction [of renewables] anyway.”

He noted a huge demand for such a group response to the challenges, with resort managers expressing frustration at problems relating to issues such as waste management and recycling, and the lack of appropriate infrastructure and regulation at the state level: “Is it really worth continuing to shipping waste to Thilafushi without any recycling or economic benefit?” he asked.

Environmental achievements already reached, such as the recent designation of Baa Atoll as a UNESCO biosphere, “are not just for propaganda value. It will have a marketable effect on the ability to sell tourism in Baa Atoll.”

Tourism Minister Dr Mariyam Zulfa noted that the Maldives already had many resorts that had taken the lead in incorporating environmentally-sustainable measures into their design, operation and management.

“We have resorts in the Maldives that are held up as among the best examples in the world,” Zulfa noted.

“The Maldives has risen to the top among the world’s most exclusive destinations due in no small part to the competitive position derived from its unique natural island environment and surrounding underwater beauty. Climate change threatens to destroy this beautiful environment and along with it, the livelihoods of many Maldivians.

“This project aims to address ways in which the Maldives and especially its tourism industry can minimize its vulnerability to climate change,” she said.

“This project will contribute to the government’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2020, and will support the integration of adjustment measures which need to be implemented in response to climatic changes into development policies, plans, programs, projects and actions.”

Following consultations throughout the rest of this year, the first wave of projects is expected to begin in early 2012.

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