Pres downplays Nasheed's role in founding guesthouse tourism

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Monday said local tourism in the Maldives did not start during the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

President Solih arrived in K. Guraidhoo on Monday for MDP’s presidential primary campaign and held a rally with the general members of the party.

Speaking at the rally, the president highlighted the beginning of local tourism in the Maldives.

The first registered guesthouse in the Maldives began operations 13 years ago in 2010 under Nasheed, who is contesting in this primary. However, President Solih stated that the Maldives has witnessed a major change in local tourism in the last 10 years.

He said it was important to know exactly when the change in the way guesthouses were built in rural areas, even though there was always some work done during the party's first term. The first thing that happened was, the president said, there was no guesthouse anywhere other than the capital.

"However, the previous government [President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's government] reversed that decision in parliament before MDP’s first government came to power," he said.

"The resolution mandating the government was passed by parliament in early 2008. Those who were present in the Parliament at that time were Moosa Manik, Abdulla Shahid, Mariya Didi, I think Mahloof as well,  and I was there as well."

He said the resolution was passed at that time by submitting it to the Maljlis several times.

"I am not saying that our previous government did not promote work. However, this opportunity was given to the rural areas through a resolution passed by parliament in early 2008," he said, reiterating the point.

The president further said:

When Maumoon took over the reins of the Maldives in 1978, guesthouses were operated in Male atoll and some islands of Vaavu atoll. However, on May 1, 1984, the government banned guesthouses from operating in rural areas.

It was called guesthouses, but at the time, they were very poor. Ordinary rooms in the house. At that time, there were very middle-class guests who used to go to these guesthouses. There were a lot of ethical issues among them. For example, going nude on beaches and drug abuse.

The ban on guesthouses in rural areas was imposed then because some of the people at the time believed that the tourists coming to the rural islands could cause social problems.