A 5-Day Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas Workshop Has Begun

Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas Workshop has commenced yesterday. Aimed to advocate the participants on the importance of sustainable tourism and further educate them on the principles of managing visitors in protected areas of the country, the workshop will be held for 5 days. The workshop is attended by over 40 participants from relevant authorities of the government, tourism industry stakeholders, island councils, guardians of the protected areas in the Maldives. 
 
This workshop is an initiative of the Environment Protection Agency and United States Agency for International Development together. The workshop is funded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  

 
The opening ceremony was graced by Minister of Environment, Climate Change and technology, Aminath Shauna. In her speech, she touched upon the Maldives being blessed with natural beauty from tip to tip and how it has become our strongest selling point for tourism. These include world-class dive sites, mangroves, shipwrecks, sandbanks and also one of the most popular sites of Hanifaru Bay in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll. She also stressed on the importance of protecting our biodiversity, demonstrated well in Addu City, Baa Atoll and Fuvahmulah City where initiatives are economically beneficial as well. 
 
Minister Shauna stated that The Strategic Action Plan of the Government sets out to protect and manage, at least 10% of coral reef area, 20% of wetlands and mangroves and at least one sand bank and one uninhabited island from each atoll by 2025. These sites of immense environmental significance are our responsibility to sustain for future generations to come. She added that the government is also working on establishing ecotourism facilities and guidelines in the protected areas to ensure that their protection provides economic benefit to the communities.