IGCSE Case Study: Maldives tourism

•        Population: 314,000
•        Area: 298 KM squared
•        Started to develop in 1972
•        11% of the Maldives workforce is in tourism
•        It accounts for 29% of the Maldives GDP
•        More than 700,000 tourists visit the Maldives every year
•        Tourism brings in $600 million per year
•        Most tourists are from Europe

     Attractions in the Maldives:

•        Diving
•         Snorkelling
•         Water-skiing
•         Swimming
•         Fishing
•         Windsurfing
•         Mulee Aage Palace
•         Looking around local towns
•         Fish Markets
•         Touring beaches

Positive Impacts:

•         Improvement in Infrastructure e.g. roads, internet, airports
•         Foreign currency brought to the region by tourists can be invested improving local education, health and other services.
•         Jobs for local people are created from tourism giving people the chance to learn new skills in tourism services.
•         National Parks have been created – encouraging people to protect the environment

Negative Impacts:

•         Effects of construction of coastal structures. For development of a resort, it’s vital to have easy access to the island. To make this possible the following has occurred: the movement of sand around the island is obstructed from the construction of coastal structures such as jetties which erodes the island, the destruction of the habitat of many marine creatures
•        Profits usually go to foreign tourism companies
•        Land prices rise
•        Severe effects to reefs and islands occur from construction of coastal structures, including seawalls, submerged breakwaters and groins. Most of these structures protect part of the island though severely affect other parts.
•        Coastal vegetation is removed during the construction of tourist facilities.
•        Sewage and liquid waste disposed on the island seep into lagoons.
•        Pesticides & fertilizers used in resort gardens contaminate reefs causing eutrophication.
•        Conflicts between fisheries & tourism in resource exploitation are another major issue