SECOND TOURISM MASTERPLAN 1995
By the time of the second tourism master plan in 1995, tourism was established as a driver of the economy. Future prospects look good, especially when India and China start traveling
as was predicted at the time. Private sector-led growth had resulted in the pragmatic approach of developing Ari Atoll first. To implement the 1TMP’s decentralized regional development vision would have required the government to act in a catalytic way, and this had not occurred. 2TMP rationalized the situation saying that while the aim of spreading development benefits was admirable for the sake of equity, a critical mass of development was required for economies of scale. However, 2TMP noted that Kaafu and Ari atolls were now, in 1995, comprehensively developed. Therefore, an active policy of decentralization was now required. 2TMP predicted growth to continue at 6 to 7% up to 500,000 arrivals by 2004. 4,000 additional beds were called for by 2005, gradually expanding tourism to all atolls of the Maldives. The additional transport hubs had not eventuated and development pressure continued around Male’ In 1999, the government announced a moratorium on additional bed development in Male’, North Ari and South Ari atolls. The moratorium was subsequently lifted on the insistence of the industry. It was considered to infringe the rights of developers to build on up to 20% of land as per the tourism regulations at the time. On the marketing side, 2TMP envisaged that Maldives would position itself as a “premium marine eco-destination”