Maldives Tourism Ministry Plans to Bring MasterChef to the Islands

Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal announced plans to bring the globally renowned cooking reality show MasterChef to the Maldives, aiming to develop the country's culinary field. During a press briefing, Faisal highlighted the significant salaries some resorts already pay chefs, with figures reaching up to USD 35,000. He stressed the importance of increasing the number of Maldivians in this lucrative sector and outlined collaborative efforts with industry professionals to achieve this goal.

Faisal also emphasized the need to elevate more Maldivians to senior positions in the tourism industry, such as General Managers, Directors of Sales, and Operations Managers. To facilitate this, special training programs for local employees are being planned.

"I will soon discuss with PSM the possibility of bringing MasterChef to the Maldives to spark interest in this field. I've already spoken with several resorts, and some have expressed strong support for the idea," said Faisal.

MasterChef, which originated in the UK in July 1990, is a popular television reality cooking show known for discovering culinary talent through various challenges judged by acclaimed food critics and chefs. Faisal believes that hosting such a show in the Maldives would help produce professional chefs and inspire more young Maldivians to pursue careers in the culinary arts.
The Minister noted that while many Maldivians currently work in regular jobs at resorts, there is a focus on increasing the number of locals in higher-paying roles, with salaries ranging from USD 3,000 to USD 4,000.

"We're working on practical solutions to achieve this. For example, given that the Maldives is a world-leading destination, it would be more effective to train students in Maldivian resorts rather than sending them abroad to study hospitality," he added.

By bringing MasterChef to the Maldives, Faisal hopes to not only boost local talent but also to place the Maldives on the global culinary map, attracting more attention and investment to the nation's tourism and hospitality sectors.