Saeed urges inclusion of Maldivian food in airline menus

Economic minister Mohamed Saeed on Monday called on hospitality experts to push for the inclusion of Maldivian dishes in the menus of international airlines flying to the Maldives.

Saeed made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the Food and Hospitality Asia Exhibition held at Dharubaaruge. 

While recognising that the Maldives has established itself as a world-class tourism destination, Saeed expressed disappointment that airlines servicing the country do not offer Maldivian cuisine to passengers.

"Although Maldives tourism has reached the highest level in the world, no airline flying to Maldives has Maldivian food on its menu," Saeed remarked, pointing out that menus typically feature dishes from other countries.

He emphasised the importance of promoting local cuisine as part of the Maldives’ tourism identity.

Saeed encouraged the hospitality experts present at the exhibition to collaborate on introducing Maldivian dishes to the culinary offerings of airlines.

He noted that with the expertise available at the exhibition and initiatives like the Food and Hospitality Asia Maldives (FHAM), there is significant potential to work with airline chefs to develop Maldivian-inspired menus.

"This exhibition has the best experts to think about this. In the near future, with the creativity of experts and FHAM's initiative, discussions can bring an idea and how this can be done with chefs who prepare menus at airlines," he said.

The Food and Hospitality Asia Maldives exhibition runs from September 23-25, and showcases 120 food vendors. The event also features a culinary challenge, with over 600 chefs participating, providing a platform for showcasing culinary innovation and expertise.