Greetings on World Tourism Day to everyone. The Maldives today is a vastly different Maldives than the one we grew up in. The social, cultural, political, and economic impact of tourism on the Maldives is significant. The industry has completely transformed the Maldives.

Today’s theme is “Tourism for Inclusive Growth”. It is an opportunity for us to look beyond mere statistics and numbers, and acknowledge that our industry is possible due to the hard work, sacrifice, expertise, and strength of each and every single person in the industry and beyond.

Last year was, undoubtedly, the greatest challenge our industry has faced. Our industry, the Maldivian economy, and our livelihood were at the brink of collapse. However, we saw firsthand the strength, will, determination and prowess of us Maldivians. With optimism and bravery, we sailed the rough waters of 2020 to arrive at where we are today, a success tourism story that shocked the whole world.

2020 was a testament to the strength of genuine inclusivity in the tourism industry, one that we must celebrate and strengthen in the future to come. Our wish is for all of us to have the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the industry. And, we dream of a day that each and every single Maldivian is able to reap the rewards of the industry’s success, in a way that would bring positive changes to all of our lives.