The government will deliver on its vision to establish Maldives as a globally renowned destination for Halal tourism, the Minister of Tourism and Environment, Thoriq Ibrahim has said.
Speaking on PSM News' ‘Raajje Miadhu’ programme, Minister Thoriq said the global halal tourism sector generated around USD 274 billion in revenue last year, while the figure is expected to be even higher this year.
Maldives as a 100 percent Muslim country, could tap a huge portion of this revenue by its entry into the Halal tourism sector, he said.
The Minister pointed out that Maldives has been successful in past tourism diversification efforts and ventures into new tourism segments.
Maldives, being one of foremost tourist destinations in the world, can exploit its current position by tapping the Halal tourism market, attract more tourists to its shores and further enhance its tourism brand, he explained.
"We have proven that everything we do in the tourism sector is done at the highest level. The government will do everything it can to encourage tourism investors and we will elevate this product to an excellent position,” he said.
The Maldivian government has decided to develop halal tourism in five regions across the Maldives, offering grant concessions for those interested in investing in these areas.
The government will pursue Halal tourism in Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Thaa and Laamu Atolls.
In order to attract investors to introduce halal tourism in the region, the lease acquisition cost for the designated islands will be reduced by an additional 20 percent and flexible payment options will be offered for the lease acquisition fee payment such that lease acquisition will be paid in the first quarter of the fifth and sixth years. The government has also decided to waive the land rent for the remainder of the grace period instead of deferring it in case the islands or lagoons that are completed, opened and operated before the grace period ends.
With these concessions, 31 projects in these five areas have been opened for open bidding and closed bidding. The Ministry of Tourism and Environment said that one project from each atoll will be identified for the halal tourism model with the deadline for bid submission open until 1 September.
Halal tourism is a service designed to cater to the needs of Muslim travelers and to provide hospitality to all types of guests. The government plans to implement this concept during the resort development and also the operations phase.