The Sonu Shivdasani Story
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If I were a betting man, I would have never predicted that an Oxford Graduate in English Literature would make a mark in the Maldivian Hospitality industry as a pioneering figure, who would one day revolutionise the way tourism was defined in the Maldives. But that was exactly what British hotelier Sonu Shivdasani, along with […]
Velana International: Towards a world-class airport
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The development of Velana International Airport (VIA) by Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) might just be the most ambitious and most expensive project undertaken hitherto in the Maldives. The international airport built on the separate island, Hulhulé, just a 5-minute ride by mechanized vessels from the Capital Malé, has served as the gateway to the […]
Sustainable technologies: where science can help
Whether you regard science as a force for good or the means to our destruction, one thing is clear: the world as we know it depends on science for its workings. While the problems of modernity, such as carbon emissions, waste and pollution need to be addressed, the modern consumer, though eco-and-community-conscious, will not want […]
The building wave: observations on the number two industry and its umbilical link with tourism
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The construction industry is the country’s second largest industrial contributor to the GDP after tourism. Over the past decade, it has witnessed several booms and slumps. Hard hit by the effects of the financial crisis that ravaged the global economy in the late 2000s, the sector recovered in 2010, registering positive growth. The trend continued […]
Under the Southern Cross: Observations on Addu Atoll’s development and future
The southernmost atoll of the Maldives, Addu Atoll, is steeped in history and culture, home to remnants of the British colonial endeavour, a unique dialect and some of the country’s most esteemed scholars and businessmen. Now more commonly referred to as Addu City, it’s the country’s largest population centre after Malé. The inhabitants of Addu […]
Here today, gone tomorrow: the world of travel as a fast-paced, ruthless ecosystem
The world of travel is an ever-changing ecosystem whose components must be fit for survival or face extinction. Today’s traveller is different from her ancestor of twenty years ago; though motivations remain largely the same, her modus operandi and her expectations have changed significantly. This owes greatly to the shifting technological landscape; what was once […]
2016 Maldives Tourism Industry Review
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Despite the various challenges, the hospitality and tourism industry of the Maldives has been resilient, and the performance of the sector of the showed improvement in the year 2016 compared to the year 2015. With a total arrival of 1,286,135 inbound international tourists, the industry recorded an annual average tourist arrival growth rate of 4.2% […]
Homegrown Hotelier – Shabeer Ahmed, Chairman of Coco Collection
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Shabeer Ahmed is Chairman of Coco Collection, a company with three properties in the Maldives in its portfolio: Coco Bodu Hithi and Coco Privé in Male Atoll and Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu in Baa Atoll. Shabeer’s rise was marked by grit and determination in the face of adversity. But you will also discover that he […]
Beyond the beach bungalow
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Back in 1972, when the Maldives embarked on its journey of becoming a world-class destination that would eventually find its place on people’s bucket lists, little thought went into the design of tourist accommodation. At the time, such spaces were often made of coral stone, mortar and tin. In some cases, like with Gasfinolhu in […]
Branding – It can make or break a property
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Brands are ubiquitous. In our everyday life we’re confronted with a plethora of them; there are those that fulfil our most basic needs, like milk, and others that we indulge in every now and then, like a treatment at a particular spa. Branding is part of the process that gives tangibility to something that is […]
Emerging Destinations: Raa Atoll
The first tourism development master plan’s vision was for the Male’ region to be the sole gateway and hub for tourism, but just for a short period. This was to be followed by the establishment of hubs in the north and south.
Hotelier Maldives holds GM Forum 2016
The GM Forum saw the attendance of 20 general managers and over 52 other delegates including resort owners, government officials and key businessmen.
