British tourists turn their back on the Maldives

There has been a sharp decline in the number of Britons visiting the Maldives, according to the islands’ minister for tourism.

Figures from July show a drop of 18.9 per cent compared with July 2007, part of an overall fall of 6.6 per cent in tourist numbers.

This is the largest slump since the aftermath of the tsunami in 2004, which killed at least 82 people in the Maldives and flooded the capital, Male. The decline has been blamed on construction delays, rising fuel surcharges and worldwide economic woes.

The Maldives, popular with honeymooners, usually attracts 100,000 Britons per year.

Abdulla Mausoom, the Maldives minister for tourism, said he was optimistic that the downturn would not last. He added that the number of Russian and Chinese visitors had increased by 63 and 24 per cent respectively over the past year. Last week, tour operator Kuoni named the Maldives as its second most popular destination, with bookings up 20 per cent on 2007.

Several new resorts have opened in 2008, with a further 63 resorts under construction. But a plan announced in June to lease another 31 islands for development will not go ahead, according to the ministry of finance.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk