Ministry of Tourism has revealed the Fifth Tourism Master Plan will be drafted within four months. The plan will consist of the various tourism-related goals the government plans to complete within a period of five years.
Speaking to PSM News, Director of Planning Ali Shinan said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved the budget for the master plan and the ministry is now seeking consultants. Shinan said ADB is tasked with hiring a team of 10 consultants, and that the lead consultant will be a foreigner while the nine other consultants will be Maldivians. He also said the master plan will be drafted within three months after the consultants are hired within a month.
The tourism ministry is seeking consultants in the areas of business development and economic planning, social, cultural, marketing, and product development, as well as policy, human resources, environment, legal, marine, and security. The tourism ministry has said the master plan will mainly focus on recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih launched the Fifth Tourism Master Plan in 2019. The master plan is set to include promoting sustainable development in the main economic sectors as well as enhancing the participation of women in the tourism sector, protecting the environment and utilising sustainable energy in tourism-related activities.
Further areas include identifying ways to develop and expand the tourism industry, identifying ways to conserve the heritage and culture through the expansion and promotion of tourism, and increasing job opportunities for locals in the tourism industry.