How civil unrest affects Maldives tourism
The Maldives tourism industry, famous for its secluded hotels, has traditionally been shielded from unrest in the capital. But continuing bad press, generated by years of political turmoil is beginning to have an effect, tour operators say.
16 Nov 2015, 9:00 AM
President Abdulla Yameen’s declaration of a state of emergency here, a luxury honeymoon destination, made headlines across the world. The November 4 decree triggered a flurry of messages from worried guests and gave rise to multiple threads on Trip Advisor. “It is all over the news. Should we cancel everything, flights, hotel, and book with some other country guys? Please help, me and my wife don’t want to take any risks,” wrote one concerned guest.
Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon rushed to assure tourists of their safety, stating that missing weapons and bomb scares in Malé posed no threat to, and should not concern foreigners. “The situation remains stable… The government assures the safety of the destination,” read a tourism ministry statement on the same day.
But cancellations did occur. Caroline Pacquet of Solea Vacances, a leading French tour operator, said: “Here in France, we have had many cancellations… The main problem is that one side is saying a state of emergency has been declared, while on the other end they say everything is all right. Either its an emergency or not, it cannot be both.”
A cruise liner, Ocean Insignia, carrying some 3,000 passengers visited Colombo instead. Just six days later, the state of emergency was lifted. But the damage was already done.
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