The Guesthouse Phenomenon in the Maldives – Development and Issues
Summary
The tourism industry in the Maldives has long been dominated by the “one island, one resort” model, where luxury resorts on uninhabited islands kept tourists isolated from local communities. However, recent legislative changes have opened up new opportunities for community-based tourism (CBT) with the establishment of guesthouses on inhabited islands. This shift aims to increase local participation in the tourism sector and has led to greater interaction between tourists and the island communities. The guesthouse industry has witnessed rapid growth, surpassing the number of resorts, providing more affordable options for visitors, and offering the potential for economic and social benefits for local communities.
Despite the benefits, the lack of clear guidelines and varying sizes and facilities of guesthouses has caused confusion among stakeholders and tourists. The increased interaction between conservative local communities and tourists has also led to conflicts.
This case study is based on a research project conducted in September 2019 exploring the sustainable development opportunities and challenges of the guesthouse tourism industry in the Maldives. Extensive in person interviews were conducted with tourists staying at three local island islands in the country, as well as guesthouse operators and managers from the same islands.
Information
© The Authors 2024
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Abbas, N. (2018) Hulhumale. Available at: https://twitter.com/NishwanAbbas/status/1075657833939558400 (accessed 15 July 2023).
Ahmed, M. (2018) Guesthouses in the Maldives: Towards community-based tourism. International Journal of Innovation and Economic Development, Inovatus Services Ltd 4, 44–50.
Albu, R. (2019) Study on the effects of tourism development on the local community of Brasov. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov.Series V: Economic Sciences 12, 37–42.
Aquino, R.S., Lück, M. and Schänzel, H.A. (2018) A conceptual framework of tourism social entrepreneurship for sustainable community development. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 37, 23–32.
Araamu Holidays and Spa (2022) Araamu Holidays and Spa Guesthouse, Dhiffushi, Maldives. Available at: https://araamuholidays.com/ (accessed 16 December 2023).
Asad Photo Maldives (2018) Bird’s eye view photography of islands. Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/bird-s-eye-view-photography-of-islands-1268869/ (accessed 6 June 2023).
Asad Photo Maldives (2019) Aerial View of Outrigger island Resort at Konotta, Maldives. Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-view-of-outrigger-island-resort-at-konotta-maldives-9482139/ (accessed 3 August 2023).
Asian Development Bank (2019) Maldives: Economic Update 2019. Available at: https://www.adb.org/documents/maldives-economic-update-2019 (accessed 4 August 2023).
Avas (2020) New Guesthouse Opened in Maafushi, Largest to Date. Available at: https://avas.mv/en/90174 (accessed 1 August 2023).
Avas (2021) Foreigners to be Allowed to Invest in Guesthouse Business. Available at https://avas.mv/en/97076 (accessed 16 December 2023).
Bowen, D., Zubair, S. and Altinay, L. (2017) Politics and tourism destination development: The evolution of power. Journal of Travel Research 56, 725–743.
Buckley, R.C., Guitart, D. and Shakeela, A. (2017) Contested surf tourism resources in the Maldives. Annals of Tourism Research 64, 185–199.
Chia, K.W. and Anas, A. (2022) (Re)starting the tourism business during a crisis? Challenges and decisions to reopen of guest house entrepreneurs in the Maldives. Current Issues in Tourism 25, 1015–1020.
Chia, K.W. and Muiz, A. (2021) The nature and challenges of guest house business in the Maldives: An exploratory study. Tourism and Hospitality Research 21, 3–14.
Dell’Agnese, E. (2019) ‘Islands within Islands?’ The Maldivian resort, between segregation and integration. Tourism Geographies 21, 749–765.
Frent, C. (2016) An overview on the negative impacts of tourism. Revista de Turism – Studii Si Cercetari in Turism 22, 32–37. Available at: http://www.revistadeturism.ro/rdt/article/view/344 (accessed 5 August 2023).
Giampiccoli, A., Mtapuri, O. and Dłużewska, A. (2020) Investigating the intersection between sustainable tourism and community-based tourism. Tourism 68, 415–433.
Government of Maldives (2020) Travelling to the Maldives. Available at: https://www.gov.mv/en/publications/travelling-to-the-maldives (accessed 2 June 2023).
Henderson, J.C. (2008) The politics of tourism: A perspective from the Maldives. Tourismos 3, 99–115. Available at: http://saruna.mnu.edu.mv/jspui/bitstream/123456789/13916/1/The%20Politics%20of%20Tourism%20-%20A%20Perspective%20from%20the%20Maldives.pdf (accessed 2 August 2023).
Kachroo-Levine, M. (2021) How the Maldives Transformed from a Fishing Archipelago to a Tropical Hot Spot in 50 Years. Available at: https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/island-vacations/maldives-history (accessed 3 June 2023).
Kongbuamai, N., Bui, Q., Yousaf, H.M.A.U. and Liu, Y. (2020) The impact of tourism and natural resources on the ecological footprint: A case study of ASEAN countries. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27, 19251–19264.
Laeis, G.C.M., Scheyvens, R.A. and Morris, C. (2019) Cuisine: A new concept for analysing tourism-agriculture linkages?Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change 18, 1–16.
Lama, P.D. and Becker, P. (2019) Conflicts in adaptation: Case studies from Nepal and the Maldives. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal 28, 304–318.
Miadhu (2019) Guest House Association of Maldives Takes Part in the Largest Travel Fair of India. Available at: https://miadhu.mv/article/en/11540 (accessed 18 November 2023).
Ministry of Tourism (2013) Fourth Tourism Master Plan—Volume 1. Available at: https://www.tourism.gov.mv/en/downloads/master_plan (accessed 20 June 2023).
Ministry of Tourism (2014) Tourism Yearbook 2014. Available at: https://www.tourism.gov.mv/en/page/tourism_year_book (accessed 6 June 2023).
Ministry of Tourism (2018) Tourism Yearbook 2018. Available at: https://www.tourism.gov.mv/en/page/tourism_year_book (accessed 6 June 2023).
Ministry of Tourism (2023a) Tourism Statistics May 2023. Available at: https://www.tourism.gov.mv/en/statistics/publications (accessed 10 July 2023).
Ministry of Tourism (2023b) Tourism Statistics January 2023. Available at: https://www.tourism.gov.mv/en/statistics/publications (accessed 17 July 2023).
Ministry of Tourism (n.d.) Registered Facilities. Available at: https://www.tourism.gov.mv/en/registered/facilities/filter-t3 (accessed 29 July 2023).
National Bureau of Statistics (2020) Statistical Yearbook of Maldives 2020. Available at: http://statisticsmaldives.gov.mv/yearbook/2020/ (accessed 15 July 2023).
National Bureau of Statistics (2023) Statistical Yearbook of Maldives 2020. Available at: http://statisticsmaldives.gov.mv/yearbook/2023/ (accessed 25 July 2023).
Pappayah, P.P., Muiz, A. and Jinus, D.J. (2017) Increasing the visibility of guesthouse operation in the Maldives through e-marketing. Journal of Tourism and Leisure Studies 2, 11–20.
Postma, A. and Schmuecker, D. (2017) Understanding and overcoming negative impacts of tourism in city destinations: Conceptual model and strategic framework. Journal of Tourism Futures 3, 144–156.
Roxas, F.M.Y., Rivera, J.P.R. and Gutierrez, E.L.M. (2020) Framework for creating sustainable tourism using systems thinking. Current Issues in Tourism 23, 280–296.
Salgado. S. (2014) Maafushi Island Shows the Way for Inclusive Wealth Creation through Tourism. Available at: https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/maafushi-island-shows-way-inclusive-wealth-creation-through-tourism (accessed 10 December 2023).
Schänzel, H., Urie, G. and Lynch, P. (2022) Slow hospitality: Family perspectives of holiday experiences at beacg fale in Samoa. Hospitality & Society 12, 95–116.
Scheyvens, R. (2011) The challenge of sustainable tourism development in the Maldives: Understanding the social and political dimensions of sustainability. Asia Pacific Viewpoint 52, 148–164.
Shakeela, A. and Weaver, D. (2018) “Managed evils” of hedonistic tourism in the Maldives: Islamic social representations and their mediation of local social exchange. Annals of Tourism Research 71, 13–24.
Shenaan, M. (2022) Exploring guesthouse and cuisine experiences: The strategic and sustainable development of the guesthouse phenomenon in the Maldives. PhD thesis, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/10292/15607 (accessed 1 August 2023).
Shenaan, M., Schänzel, H. and Berno, T. (2021) Investigating cuisine experiences in the Maldives: A novel research method utilizing tasting buffets. Journal of Gastronomy and Tourism 6, 63–80.
Thoha, N. (2020) Assessing Potential Climate Related Security Risks in the Maldives: Exploring the Future Climate-Induced Migration (Report 18/2020). Available at: https://docplayer.net/197543023-Assessing-potential-climaterelated-security-risks-in-the-maldives-exploring-the-future-climate-induced-migration.html (accessed 20 June 2023).
Zubair, F.N.I. and Bouchon, F. (2014) Maldives as a backpacker’s destination: Supply and demand perspectives. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 144, 256–263.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
2024
Copyright
© The Authors 2024.
History
Published online: 23 January 2024
Issue publication date: 31 January 2024
Keywords:
Themes:
Special Issue:
Language
English
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
SCITE_
Citations
Export citation
Select the format you want to export the citations of this publication.
EXPORT CITATIONSExport Citation
View Options
Get Access
Login Options
Check if you access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.