Tourism Sector

Tourism is what the Maldives is known all over the world for. It is the most important sector in the Maldivian economy, making the largest contribution to the wealth of the nation. Resorts offer the most popular vehicle for tourism in the Maldives. Presently more than 100 resorts, operate in the Maldives in addition to a few hotels, guesthouses and cruise vessels. Each resort occupies its own island and includes the necessary infrastructure for guests and workers: power plant, water desalinization plant, workers housing quarters, external communication. Tourism in the Maldives is centered on beaches, scuba diving, snorkeling, and more recently, eco-tourism. Although the Tourism Sector is the largest provider of jobs, not all Maldivians take up these jobs. Many of these jobs have to be given to workers from neighboring countries.