Maldives resorts still unaffected by civil unrest, says tourism ministry

Friday, 06 Nov, 2015 0

The Maldives tourism ministry has moved to allay fears over the country’s state of emergency as political tensions continue to rise in the capital Male.

President Abdulla Yameen invoked the state of emergency on Wednesday following two alleged attempts on the President’s life in recent weeks.

The latest unrest came after the detention of opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed who was suspected of involvement in the first assassination attempt when the Presidential boat exploded injuring the First Lady.

Both the UK and US governments have criticised the measures.

"The United States calls on the government of Maldives to restore immediately full constitutional freedoms to its citizens by terminating the state of emergency," said US State Department spokesman John Kerry.

"The situation in the Maldives remains stable," the tourism ministry said in a statement.

Although very few tourists spend time in the capital, some western governments have advised citizens to exercise caution when in Male.

The vast majority of visitors are whisked away from Male Airport direct to the numerous luxury resorts spread out among more than 1,000 islands.

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.