Exploring Tourism Diversification: The Case of the Maldives

 In 2023, the Maldives was named the world’s leading travel destination for the fourth consecutive year, owing to its outstanding natural attractions. Consequently, Maldives’ Fifth Tourism Master Plan sets a new vision to lead the world in sustainable tourism, provide the best visitor experiences, and achieve a $6 billion annual international tourism target by 2027. This research primarily aimed to investigate the feasibility of tourism diversification in the Maldives. The specific objectives were: (i) to assess the level of confidence among tourism industry stakeholders regarding the geographical dispersion of tourism in the Maldives, and (ii) to identify key bottlenecks and recommend strategies to support successful tourism diversification. The research sample consisted of 30 tourism industry professionals and policymakers in the Maldives. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, and the analysis of secondary sources, such as government reports, industry publications, and academic literature. The collected data were analysed using SPSS, and NVivo. The findings offer valuable insights into tourism diversification in the Maldives, focusing on areas such as investment, marketing, skills development, and stakeholder collaboration. The study concludes that tourism diversification is viable, with new segments such as eco-tourism, coastal tourism, and wellness tourism enhancing competitiveness, broadening appeal, and fostering industry growth. It suggests short, medium, and long-term strategies to address the challenges identified, including infrastructure gaps, environmental sustainability, sociocultural impacts, and human resource skill shortages. However, success will require collaboration among all stakeholders, including the government and local communities, to address bottlenecks and implement the recommended mitigation strategies. This research contributes to a better understanding of tourism diversification in small island nations. Further research is needed to identify specific actions by stakeholders and mechanisms required for implementing the diversification strategies.