The Minister of Tourism and Environment, Thorig Ibrahim has reaffirmed that government will continue to work to developing the skills of workers in the tourism sector. The Minister made the statement in an interview with PSM News on the occasion of Labour Day.
The Maldives’ tourism industry remains the largest employer in the Maldives. The government places special emphasis on the development of this industry, including ensuring the rights of workers in the industry and providing them with training.
In his interview, Minister Thorig extended greetings to workers on the occasion of Labour Day. Noting that a large number of workers are employed in the tourism industry, he emphasised the importance of their contribution towards the sustainable development of the Maldives.
The Minister said the government is closely monitoring the performance of local workers, and said the government of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu values their contribution.
"The youth play a key role in the field of tourism and the environment. It is our priority to familiarise young people in these fields,” he stated.
The Tourism Minister further said the government is working to enable young people to enter the tourism industry and progress into leadership roles. He said the government is working to facilitate skills development in a sustainable manner.
"We always emphasise the need for the continuous training of tourism sector employees. Therefore, we will give high priority to this. It is our aim to increase the number of Maldivians employed in tourism as much as possible," he said.
According to the 2024 Tourism Statistics Survey by the National Bureau of Statistics, 55,874 individual are employed in the tourism industry of the Maldives. Of these, 41 percent are Maldivians.