Denying tourists on inhabited islands the same services and facilities as resorts is an injustice: Nasheed
Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said it is unjust that tourists staying in hotels and guesthouses on inhabited islands are unable to access the same services and facilities available to visitors at resort islands.
Speaking on Tuesday night at a ceremony in Maafushi to launch the “Maafushi Brand” under the theme “Heart of Maafushi,” Nasheed said longstanding regulations continue to limit what guesthouses on inhabited islands can offer to tourists.
I am not someone who only speaks what is agreeable. I also talk about difficult issues
Nasheed said
Reflecting on past restrictions, he noted that there were periods in the Maldives when education was limited and when tourists were not allowed to visit inhabited islands.
Nasheed expressed concern that, despite the expansion of tourism to local islands, regulatory frameworks still prevent guesthouses from providing the same range of services offered at resorts.
At present, the way things are structured, the services and products available to tourists in resorts cannot be provided by hotels on inhabited islands. That is an injustice
He said
adding that greater equality should be considered.
Highlighting the growth of local island tourism, Nasheed noted that while the Maldives now receives more than two million tourists annually, around 200,000 visitors choose to stay on inhabited islands such as Maafushi.
Although the former president did not specify which services he was referring to, it is widely understood that certain items available in resort restaurants including pork and alcoholic beverages are either restricted or prohibited on inhabited islands.
The Maldives is a 100 percent Muslim nation, and its laws and regulations are grounded in Islamic principles as outlined in the Constitution.
As alcohol and pork are prohibited (haram) in Islam, their sale is not permitted on inhabited islands, while exemptions apply within resort islands.
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