Maldives Ambassador: "200 Resorts on Atolls, Welcome to the Island of Dreams"

Interview with Hassan Sobir, Non-resident Ambassador of Maldives to Korea
"200 Resorts by Year-End, Aiming to Reach 1.8 Million Tourists"

"About 36,000 Korean tourists visited the Maldives last year. This year, already around 14,000 have visited the Maldives. Considering that Korea ranks within the top 10 countries in terms of the number of tourists visiting the Maldives, the Maldivian government is very interested in the Korean market."

Hassan Sobir, Ambassador of the Maldives to Korea.
Photo by Kim Heeyoon

Renowned as one of the best travel destinations due to its pristine natural environment, the Maldives announced that the number of visitors surpassed 1 million in the first half of this year alone. This milestone was reached about a month earlier compared to August 12 of last year.

Hassan Sobir, the Maldivian Ambassador to Korea, recently stated in an interview with Asia Economy that the Maldivian government’s interest in the Korean market has grown. Currently serving concurrently as the ambassador to Japan, he presented his credentials to President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 20th of last month and began his term. He is a diplomatic expert who has previously served as Minister of Tourism, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, EU Ambassador, and Singapore Ambassador.

Ambassador Sobir explained, "Tourism is the core industry of the Maldives, and currently, the largest proportion of tourists visiting the Maldives are from Russia." He added, "From January to March this year, 65,000 Russians visited the Maldives, making them the largest group by country."

Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced a tourism target of 1.8 million visitors for this year. A notable recent development is the resumption of direct flights from China to the Maldives on January 18, after a three-year suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has driven an increase in arrivals. Ambassador Sobir noted that China ranked as the fourth largest market for the Maldives in 2023, recording a growth rate of 1659.5% compared to the same period last year, making it the fourth largest source of visitors this year.

Currently, the Maldives operates under a "one island, one resort" principle, which, due to high prices, has been criticized as a high entry barrier for general travelers to decide on a trip. In response, Ambassador Sobir said, "Most honeymooners book resorts on an all-inclusive basis (where all services are included), so there may be a price burden," but he also pointed out, "While there are expensive resorts, there are about 960 guesthouses priced between 80 to 150 dollars."

Maldives Lily Beach Resort

He added, "Currently, 170 resorts are in operation in the Maldives, and by the end of the year, this number is expected to increase to around 200 (including those with permits). Until 2004, there were 18,000 beds, but due to the increase in tourists, this has grown to over 60,000 beds. The Maldives is a great place not only for couples but also for families, friends, or solo travelers," he emphasized.

Regarding concerns about the Maldives being submerged due to rising sea levels caused by climate change, Ambassador Sobir responded, "The Maldives is not sinking; rather, the polar ice caps are melting, causing sea levels to rise by about 4 mm per year. The Maldives has an average elevation of 84 cm, with the highest point only about 2 meters, but when constructing resorts, the frames are raised by about 2 meters during dredging, and cities are built by land reclamation (filling with soil or solid waste) over the sea, so there is no need to worry about safety issues."

He continued, "There will be no problems for the Maldives during our generation, but regarding future climate issues, I believe developed countries need to actively intervene."

Ambassador Sobir explained, "Direct flights by Korean airlines are expected to resume around September." Currently, the fastest route to Mal? Airport, the capital of the Maldives, involves traveling to Sri Lanka (an 8-hour flight) and then taking another 1 hour and 20-minute flight to Mal? Airport.

Additionally, Ambassador Sobir stated, "As the number of Korean tourists steadily increases, the Maldives is also positively considering establishing a resident ambassador in Korea."