Afeef: Everyone, not just the wealthy, want to visit the Maldives

One of the founders of the Maldivian tourism industry Mr. Hussain Afeef (Champa Afeef) has said that the Maldives was a destination that people from all categories wanted to visit.

Mr. Afeef said that it was not just the wealthy that wanted to visit the country and would be visited by others as well, if the opportunity arose.

Speaking in an interview with “Sun”, Afeef said that those who have made bookings were waiting for the day that islands were once again reopened. This includes the common individual and the wealthy individual as well.

Afeef also added that most of them had not chosen to cancel their bookings but were rescheduling time after time. He said that it would be an injustice if the borders of the country were opened for some, when the whole world was in a situation of lockdown and that he did not view that idea as the safest and most beneficial option for Maldivians.

Afeef’s comment comes in relation to an Op-Ed of Mr. Sonu Shivdasani who is the co-founder and CEO of luxury resort chain Soneva, on how Maldivian tourism can make it out of the situation with the Covid-19 pandemic, which was published in some media outlets of the country this week.

In his article, Mr. Shivdasani praised the government’s stringent and rapid measures that have saved lives in the country.

“The Solih administration got to work to protect the country: suspending flight routes, conducting widespread testing (the highest per capita testing in South Asia), and eventually closing the border completely. In a country wholly dependent on foreign tourism, the Government’s willingness to act decisively, in spite of the huge economic cost, almost certainly saved lives” said Mr. Shivdasani in his article.

Mr. Shivdasani then contemplated on how the country can be reopened if it is declared as virus-free.

“A good place to start might be with the super-rich. Beginning the process of opening up by allowing private jets to land has a number of advantages: there are few passengers on board, who can be immediately isolated in the airport’s VIP lounge and tested for the virus upon arrival,”

“If they test negative, they can go on their way. If they test positive, they can proceed to one of the resorts that have been converted into (arguably the world’s nicest) quarantine and isolation centers. Key to this will be rapid testing kits, that can deliver a result in minutes rather than days.” Mr. Shivdasani proposed.

The Soneva chain is well known for its high-end, ultra-luxury resorts designated for catering and hosting wealthy guests.

Mr. Afeef who is also a figure behind one of the biggest resort chains in the country, the Crown and Champa resorts, pointed out that the world was in a state of lockdown where some countries required people returning to the country to be placed in quarantine for a period of 14-days. Despite Mr. Shivdasani’s ideas, Mr Afeef said that he could not perceive how bilateral discussions could achieve such a target, specific for the rich.

No one was exempt from the bottomless economic impact faced by the country during this time, said Afeef before cautioning that this was not the time for individuals to speak about their personal interests. Afeef advised everyone to be patient and work collectively to overcome and find a total solution to the issues.

Mr. Afeef also commended the administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the work of medical professionals against the pandemic virus. He expressed his sincere desire to see the tourism industry reopened soon once the country is declared as a virus-free nation.