04/01 03:20PM
Maldives to close the Spa's in all its hotels and resorts.
Tuesday, 3rd January 2012
Do not let politics and religion damage the tourism industry, by Joseph ' Yossi' Fischer.
In a most recent act, the government of the beautiful island republic of the Maldives decided to close down all the Spa and Wellness facilities in its resorts.
The reason given is that those Spas are suspected for being a used as a cover for immoral behavior.
The Republic of the Maldives is predominantly Muslim. People on the main island of Malé also known as Dhivehi, are conservative but that did not disturb tourism to develop. So far…
A ben on selling Alcohol and pork is one thing but to stop Spa and wellness activity in some of the world's top resorts in another story all together.
For someone who has been to the Maldives twice over the past 3 years, I am astonished as well as seriously concerned.
Wellness and Spa services are an integral part of the holiday 'package' and experience that the tourists expect to get on their holiday in the Maldives.
It is well known fact that most visitors to the Maldives come by couples and use this as a romantic holiday.
This makes it even more preposterous to think that couples on a romantic holiday or a 'Honeymoon' will use services of shady and in this case rather expensive 'MASSAGE PARLORS'.
Diving, surfing, water skiing and just sunbathing or swimming and snorkeling are the main activities for holiday makers on the islands. Spa. and wellness is an important and integral part of the money spent by tourists on their vacation. Take that away and the resorts will lose a major source of income.
Many locals will lose their jobs and the Maldives will lose tourists to more liberal tourist orientated resorts like Seychelles, Republic of Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Zanzibar.
I call upon the Maldives government to re-consider this unreasonable act and to allow resorts on the islands to continue to offer Spa and wellness services.
