Travel news

A best-selling novel featuring a captivating story about a pair of mismatched lovers deserted on an uninhabited island in the Maldives is to be made into a feature-length film.

“The internal market is there for agriculture and fisheries. The local demand for fish is huge, including resorts," said Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shafeeu.

Transport Minister Dr Ahmed Shamheed told Minivan News that President Waheed's pledge to protect Indian investment in the Maldives would not affect MACL's decision to order GMR to pay the deducted US$8.2 million.

GMR has offered to exempt Maldivian nationals from paying the contentious Airport Development Charge (ADC), in a bid to end a legal and contractual stalemate that threatens to bankrupt the Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL) and deprive the government of almost all airport revenue.

“Visitors choosing to be selective and avoiding resorts tainted by the actions of their owners might lead to some loss of business to these resorts, but we are quite convinced that it would not have an overall impact on the economy of the Maldives,” the Maldives Travel Advisory website responded in a statement.

The Maldives has registered a 77.8 percent increase in tourist arrivals from the Middle East region in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period last year, while some traditional markets have shown signs of recovery.

Overall arrivals for the first quarter of 2012 were up 3.3 percent compared with the figures for the same period in 2011. However, the same figures for the corresponding period in 2011 shown a 12.8 percent from 2010, suggesting a substantial slowdown in growth.

“Both candidates are handing out cash, in the guise of medical assistance”: Minivan News exposes an extensive culture of vote-buying and complete lack of issues-based campaigning during Kaashidhoo by-election.