Qaisar calls to depoliticize state tourism promotion firm
"The tourism industry has always faced the biggest problem with marketing. There should be no real political role in the MMPRC, to market Maldives," he said.
The political part of the Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) should be separated completely if Maldivian tourism marketing and advertising is to be improved, says tourism expert Qaisar Naseem.
All the governments keep appointing politicians to lead MMPRC. Rather than allowing people with tourism experience and expertise the position of head of the company, governments see it also as a place where a politician should be placed.
In an interview with Atoll Times on Thursday, former Paradise and Sun Island General Manager Qaisar said the MMPRC should not be politicised.
"The tourism industry has always faced the biggest problem with marketing. There should be no real political role in the MMPRC, to market Maldives," he said.
"It's our bloodline. So instead of making political appointments, we should put good, deserving people there”.
He said that putting people without experience in the field in the MMPRC causes huge losses. Maldives is world famous in tourism and has such a large industry, he said, adding that there will be many experts in the field.
“There are capable people in Maldives,” Qaisar said, but every government so far has been looking to put politicians in the MMPRC instead of the capable.
This government had appointed Fathimath Thaufeeg (Kudi), a social media activist, as the managing director of MMPRC. But in just six months, she was sacked.
