First Phase of the initial assessment of the tourism industry of Maldives completed
The initial assessment of the tourism industry of Maldives after the flooding as a result of the earthquake off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, on December 26, 2004 has been completed. In the aftermath of this disaster, three tourist fatalities were unfortunately encountered, while some others sustained minor injuries. Maldives being a dive destination is yet fortunate that no divers faced any fatal injuries during the incident.
The results of the resorts assessment indicate that out of the 87 resorts, 55 are fully operational, 13 are semi-operational and 19 are un-operational at this moment in time.
The semi-operational resorts have varying degrees of damage and require minor renovation work but are operational. The status of these “semi-operational” resorts are expected to be upgraded to the “fully operational” status within the coming weeks if not days as they repair the damages.
The un-operational resorts have sustained major damage which may require weeks to repair. Out of which six resorts are expected to take a few months for restoration and be fully operational.
The after effects of the Tsunami are not so severe on the tourism industry of the Maldives because each resort in the Maldives has its own infrastructure: the island’s own power supply, sewerage system, water supply and other support facilities. Because of this, the risk that may usually be associated with these types of disasters such as electrical accidents, water contamination, and epidemics are negligible. Further more due to the resort islands flatness and the sand quality, the floods receded reasonably quickly.
We shall continue assessing the resorts and with time we shall be making adjustments to the figures as resorts get repaired and operational and we will be updating that information on our website www.visitmaldives.com
December 29, 2004
Posted in: Maldives