Government offers delays for resort lease rents amid the Covid-19 crisis in the Maldives that has brought the country’s booming tourism industry to a grinding halt.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced this on his address to the nation.
President said that once the country opens its borders for tourism after deterring the Covid-19 crisis, the government believes that the resorts must also be given some form of ease.
He said in this regard the government would accept a delay for resort lease rents for the last six months of the year.
President Solih said lease rent for islands released for agricultural purposes would also be deferred for the last six months of this year.
He added that rental fees for land plots leased under the finance Ministry would also be deferred for six months.
In his address, President Solih said that if the Covid-19 situation in the Maldives continues to improve, the country’s main hub Velaana International Airport would be opened for international arrivals mid-July.
He added that while resorts would also be allowed to operate, the government was working with industry leaders to come up with a guideline to ease the country back into tourism.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Tourism announced that it had drafted a guideline to set forth basic procedures that would see the successful resumption of the Tourism industry in the country.
The draft guideline titled “Maldives Safe Tourism Guideline’ states that tourists must take a PCR Covid-19 test upon arrival and also must present a negative PCR Covid-19 test dated maximum 7 days prior to landing in the Maldives or a positive antibody test report taken maximum two weeks prior to landing in the Maldives.
The guideline also highlights that only resorts issued the Safe Tourism License fee can host tourists when the country re-opens. While a set of standards have been defined for such resorts the guideline mentions that a licensing fee of USD 50,000 is applicable for the issuance of this Safe Tourism License.
