Maldives enacts strict rules for spas; requires 90-day registration
The rules apply to standalone spas in inhabited islands, as well as spa facilities in guesthouse, hotels and resorts.
Authorities in Maldives on Tuesday published new regulations requiring spa service providers in the country to register within 90 days.
According to the 'Rules for Registration and Operation of Spas' issued by the economic ministry, spas operating in islands and resorts in the Maldives are required to register themselves within 90 days. The rules apply to standalone spas in inhabited islands, as well as spa facilities in guesthouse, hotels and resorts.
The rules bar spa services on islands, towns and areas earmarked for industrial activities, islands leased for commercial fishing or farming, and uninhabited islands.
According to the rules, spas will be allowed to operate only after verifying that they meet the requirements laid down in the rules. If the requirements are met, permission should be issued to spa business owners within 90 days of the regulating becoming effective.
Eligibility criteria for a spa includes:
-
Each spa establishment should have a sign board placed outside, with 'Registered Spa' written along with the name of the establishment
-
There should be a waiting area
-
Treatment rooms should be accessible from the reception
-
No third party can enter rooms at the time of treatment
-
Treatment rooms should not have a lock
-
Each treatment room should have a dedicated bed. If there are more than one bed, there should be a distance of at least three feet between the two beds
-
Service personnel should have adequate training and qualification and the owner must ensure that the staff are fully trained
Banned services include:
-
Treatment of skin diseases
-
Laboratory testing and X-ray services
-
Skin treatment with acid or equipment
-
Removal of pimples or any such defects with or without surgical devices
-
Providing any healthcare or surgery related services
-
Providing non-invasive skin treatments by non-professionals
The rules also specify the standard for promotion of spa services:
-
An advertisement cannot compromise the privacy and rights of clients
-
A person cannot be shown in the advertisement
-
An advertisement cannot include words, phrases or signs that do not fit the acceptable societal norms
According to the rules, a complaint about spa business or the person running it has to be lodged with the economic ministry.
