Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom has stated that since Maldives is a nation with a great sea area, it should have more safari vessels.

The Minister said this during his speech inaugurating this year’s Maldives Boating Awards.

Speaking at the Maldives Boating Awards ceremony, the Minister said that the boating sector has contributed greatly to the success of Maldives' tourism industry. The Minister noted the cooperation of the boating industry in Maldives winning the World's Leading Destination award for three consecutive years.

Minister Mausoom said that there are a total of 158 safaris in Maldives today, which is 5% of the country's tourism beds.

The Minister said that since Maldives is a country with a large sea area, more safari vessels are needed, and one of the biggest challenges faced in this regard is the infrastructure in this sector not developing at the same rate as the safaris. The Minister said that the completion of the Dhiyaneru harbour being developed by the government would solve the issues faced by the safaris.

"The infrastructure for safari vessels has not been fully developed as much as the vessels have developed. However, you know the discussions with the Boating Association and the government, especially regarding the harbour in Dhiyaneru 2 that will be made with a service center. When that completed concept is brought into fruition, the most important thing will be solved," said the Minister.

The Maldives Boating Award is an annual award given to safaris operating in the tourism industry to honour their services.