Mathiveri council introduces entry fees for Mathiveri Finolhu
Guesthouses on Mathiveri also offer excursions to the sandbank as part of their tourism activities.
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The AA. Mathiveri Island Council has introduced entry fees for Mathiveri Finolhu, with visitors now required to pay between MVR 10 and MVR 150 per day depending on their category.
The council published regulations governing access to the three-hectare sandbank, which is located within the Mathiveri lagoon and is used by tourists and Maldivians.
Guesthouses on Mathiveri also offer excursions to the sandbank as part of their tourism activities.
Under the regulations, Saturdays will be reserved for Maldivians, and tourists will not be permitted to visit Mathiveri Finolhu on that day.
Tourists staying at guesthouses or hotels will be charged MVR 50 per person per day, while tourists visiting from safari vessels will pay MVR 100. Resort tourists will be charged MVR 150.
Mathiveri residents and work-permit holders based on the island will pay MVR 10 per day. Maldivians and work-permit holders from other islands will be charged MVR 25.
Children under the age of five will be allowed to enter without a fee.
The council has also introduced monthly packages for businesses bringing visitors to the sandbank.
Guesthouses can pay MVR 2,000 per month for up to 50 visitors, while resorts can pay MVR 15,000 for up to 150 visitors. The quotas can be used over the course of one month.
The regulations also allow Mathiveri Finolhu to be reserved for private events.
According to the council, the sandbank can be booked for a four-hour period for between MVR 8,000 and MVR 15,000. Other visitors will not be permitted to access the area while a private event is taking place.
The policy also sets rules governing activities on the sandbank. Breaches of the regulations can result in fines of up to MVR 5,000.
Mathiveri Finolhu was previously allocated for tourism development. In 2014, the sandbank was leased to a private party for 50 years for the development of a resort.
Jurisdiction over Mathiveri Finolhu was later transferred back to the Mathiveri Island Council under the previous administration.
The latest regulations establish a fee structure for public and tourism-sector use of the sandbank, while also setting aside one day each week for access by Maldivians.
