By Addu City, Maldives – The “Destination Addu City Summit” commenced today at Equator Village with over 100 participants, marking a significant step towards boosting tourism in Addu City. Organized by the Addu City Council under the theme “One Brand, One Story,” the summit aims to address the constraints and challenges hindering the expansion of tourism in the region.
The event brought together key government officials, including Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal and Cities, Administration, and Public Works Minister Adam Sharif Umar. In his opening remarks, Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar emphasized the importance of community involvement in developing the local tourism industry, assuring that the council is committed to supporting these efforts.
“There is no cheaper place to allocate land for tourism. The council is collaborating with the government, but we continue to see our share of benefits decreasing,” Mayor Nizar stated. He highlighted the need for Addu City to establish its own unique attractions, noting that reliance on Male’ alone will not suffice to grow tourism in the region. “Addu City is an hour’s flight from Male’, and tourists need compelling reasons to choose our destination. We need more infrastructure, including additional accommodation options, to make this possible,” he added.
Addu City, home to three resorts and several guesthouses, has ambitious plans to expand its tourism offerings. Projects in the pipeline include the development of Addu City Tourism Zones, local tourism expansion initiatives, and the Hankede Integrated Tourism Project. Furthermore, the city is planning to implement tourism projects on three dredged islands and a coastal tourism project.
The summit will continue with extensive discussions on overcoming the obstacles to making Addu City a premier tourist destination in the Maldives.