The Ministry of Tourism has today commenced a programme to train guest house inspectors.

The workshop was held at the National Centre for the Information Technology (NCIT), with 20 participants from 17 islands taking part as the first batch of inspectors to be trained under the scheme.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Hussain Lirar told Minivan News that the participants – selected from names forwarded by island councils – will assist the ministry’s inspectors in ensuring that guest houses maintain professional standards after the initial licenses are granted.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop, the tourism ministry’s Director General Aishath Ali stressed the importance of maintaining standards in the country’s guest houses, reported Haveeru.

Ali said it was important to ensure that all visitors and guests left the Maldives with the intention of returning.

After having just 22 registered guest houses in 2009, over 200 guest houses are now registered with the tourism ministry – with a capacity of over 2,000 beds.

According to the Maldives Monetary Authority, quarter three of 2014 saw the average operational bed capacity increase by 4 percent when compared to the same period in 2013.