Sunday 24th Nov 2024
Dhivehi Edition
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Minister Ibrahim Faisal

New Program Launched to Empower Women in Tourism

The Ministry of Tourism has launched a mentorship program, “Women for Prosperous Tourism” to increase women's participation in the tourism industry.
Speaking at the launch of the “Women for Prosperous Tourism” program held at Meerumaa Hall today, Faisal said the program is part of the President's Week 14 program to increase the role of women in the tourism industry.
Tourism has been around for half a century and it is the industry that creates the most direct and indirect opportunities for the job market in Maldives, he said. The minister said that by 2022, tourism will account for 45 percent of Maldives’ GDP but the proportion of women working in Maldives’ resorts is very low.
Faisal further said that the program launched today is designed to address these issues and increase women's participation in various sectors of the tourism industry. The program is designed with a long-term plan to achieve the goals sustainably, he said.
“The mentorship program launched today will provide practical experience for three months in their working environment with experienced mentors in various sectors of tourism, including resort and guesthouse dive centers,” he added.
Faisal said the government wants young people, especially young women, to participate in such programs and take advantage of the opportunity to get involved in the tourism industry and bring about a desirable change in the industry.
“We hope that this mentorship program will increase the number of Maldivian women involved in the tourism sector and give them more courage to enter the sector,” he said.
The Women for Green Tourism program, launched today, is designed to facilitate university-level educated women in hospitality and tourism to gain work experience under mentors with experience in various fields in the industry.