Ministry of Tourism and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has begun a project to develop local tourism in Laamu Atoll.
Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom inaugurated the project called Reimagining Tourism at a ceremony held in the Laamu Atoll Education Centre. United Nations Resident Coordinator Catherine Haswell, members of the Laamu Atoll Council and island councils, as well as the parliamentarians representing the atoll, were present at the ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Minister Mausoom said one of the purposes of the project is to allow local councils to fully exercise the authority they have been given as part of the government's decentralisation policy. The minister noted that there are many islands that have been leased for tourism development that is yet to be developed and that the government has decided to provide the responsibility of developing local tourism to the councils.
Also at the event, Haswell said the United Nations new framework for the Maldives includes expanding its work to the atolls. She said the local tourism project is the first step in its efforts to expand outside of the Greater Male' Region. The tourism ministry stated the project aims to establish a sustainable form of tourism to recover from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The project includes the development of various types of tourism businesses in the atoll as well as training the local councils and educating them on the opportunities available to develop local tourism.
The ministry also plans to introduce a blue seal certificate for guesthouses established for sustainable tourism and begin a business incubator programme to encourage new businesses.