President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has said that the collective effort from all Maldivian people was crucial for the sustainable development of Maldivian tourism. The President made this remark in his address, on the occasion of the World Tourism Day.
The President pointed out that the advancement of the tourism sector, the major contributor to the Maldivian economy; was the key to the country’s development.
In his address, President Yameen underscored the theme for this year's World Tourism Day, "One Billion Tourists - One Billion Opportuinities", noting that the theme celebrated the immense opportunities presented with the 1.1 billion tourist arrivals in 2014.
The President highlighted the developmental landmarks attained by the Maldives’ tourism industry, since the introduction of tourism in the Maldives in 1972. He also expressed his hopes of a vast increase in the number of tourist arrivals in 2016, which has been declared as the Visit Maldives Year.
President Yameen underscored that those in the tourism industry agreed that the Maldives was a shining example of tourism development. He stated that the Government gave high priority to expanding and diversifying the tourism industry, and spoke on the work being done by the Government to revise and reform the relevant laws and regulations.
Underlining the high number of employment opportunities in the tourism industry, the President noted the importance of giving priority to Maldivian jobseekers, and encouraged Maldivians to take up more jobs in the industry. He also noted the importance of human resource development in the tourism sector, for the future growth of the industry.