Pilot ‘tourist village’ project launched in Kaashidhoo

Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer on Monday inaugurated a US$1 million pilot project to develop local tourism on the island of Kaashidhoo in Malé atoll.

Three prefab guesthouses with 60 rooms, a waste management centre, a tidal pool in the lagoon and a multi-purpose building will be complete in six months, Zameer reportedly said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The Kaashidhoo tourist village is the first project of its kind by the Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Corporation, a state-owned enterprise formed in August 2016 to develop “guesthouse islands” and boost the nascent mid-market sector.

Once the tourist village becomes feasible, MITDC will sell the business to the private sector and move on to new projects, Zameer explained.

The government loaned US$1 million for MITDC to finance the project, which was subcontracted to an undisclosed foreign company.

Kaashidhoo, located 86km from the capital with a population of about 2,000 people, is the fifth largest island in the Maldives. Along with a new road, the guesthouses are being built some distance from the island’s inhabited area.

MITDC is also exploring introducing integrated tourism to Addu City and developing a public picnic island after reclaiming the Galufalhu lagoon near Malé.

Photos: Tourism Ministry