The Hanimaadhoo Island Council has opened applications for 14 state-issued plots for tourism use for an extensive period of 50 years. These plots are to be assigned within the designated area for "tourism zone".
Hanimaadhoo has a population of more than 2500 residents and is heavily reliant on guest house businesses. Moreover, as Hanimaadhoo is a tourism-centric island, there are vast opportunities within the tourism sector. Therefore, the primary goal of the redevelopment of the Hanimaadhoo International Airport is to bolster tourism in the north and foster additional economic growth opportunities in the region.
Hanimaadhoo Council is to offer land plots comprising 5000 acres located in the northern part of the island. The primary motivation for facilitating this initiative is to significantly boost the island's income generating opportunities. Additionally, the council stated that the initiative aims to reduce reliance on the state budget, significantly increase revenue for the council and as well as promote self-sufficiency within the society.
In addition, the opportunity to submit applications for tourism-designated land in Hanimaadhoo will be facilitated on April 30 at 1300hrs. Simultaneously, the application bid will be accessible exclusively to businesses registered with the Ministry of Economic Development, while a fee of USD 64.76 is to be charged from the participants.
Furthermore, 12 land plots were issued in Hanimaadhoo last year for tourism purposes, which comprised 4, 10,000 acres of land along with 8, 5000 acres of land in business terms. Concurrently, 10,000 acres of land were issued for 40 years, while 5000 acres of land were assigned for 30 years. As a result, 75 businesses demonstrated a keen interest in seizing the opportunity.