New Hanimaadhoo Airport set to boost Haa Dhaalu Atoll with 4,000 tourist beds

Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal announced on Wednesday that the HDh. Hanimaadhoo International Airport, funded by India’s Exim Bank, is expected to facilitate the addition of 4,000 tourist beds in the surrounding region upon its completion.

Faisal shared this update during a parliamentary session in response to a question posed by MDP MP Hussein Ziyad. Ziyad had asked whether the government plans to increase the number of tourist beds in Haa Dhaalu Atoll following the completion of the Hanimaadhoo airport project.

In his reply, Faisal confirmed that the ministry aims to develop around 4,000 beds in the area by the time the airport’s construction is finished, which is slated for completion in March.

Faisal also provided updates on other tourism development efforts in the region:

• 15 hectares of land in Vikaramuraidu have been designated for tourism development.
• In February, five islands in Haa Dhaalu Atoll were showcased to investors at the Investor Forum held in Dubai.
• Information about islands in Haa Dhaalu Atoll has been shared with investors at forums in Delhi and Mumbai.
• Additional investor forums are planned for Singapore, Dubai, Thailand, and India next year.

Currently, there are 460 registered tourist beds in the atoll. Additionally, three more islands have been allocated for tourism development, with ongoing projects expected to add 1,886 more beds.

At present, only two resorts are operational in the atoll: Soneva Secret Resort and Hondaafushi Island Resort. Faisal noted that while many islands in Haa Dhaalu Atoll had previously been earmarked for resort development, the government is now working to open more resorts to meet growing demand.