For many Westerners, the Maldives represents the peak of aspirational tourism but lurking behind the paradisiacal façade is a grim story of poverty and exploitation. From New Statesman:
The statistics do jar. A number of tiny, uninhabited islands are auctioned every year, fetching around £30m each. A survey conducted by the Tourism Employees Association of the Maldives (TEAM) showed that basic workers’ pay was between $80-$120 per month, although even the very lowest end resorts had an annual income of $3-4million. Fishing stocks are hugely depleted and fresh fruit and vegetables bypass local residents, going directly to tourist islands. The UN recently found that over 30 per cent of Maldivian children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition.
Barnett notes the lack of international awareness. “Gayoom’s regime was so repressive that it is very hard to get information out…”
Previously in AW: Ex-prisoner defeats ‘dictator’ president of Maldives
Similar Posts:
- Lakshadweeps: islands of innocence
- The surface is just the start
- The march of tourism (and a threat to the Maldives)
- Maldives’ dilemma
- The Maldives’ struggle to stay afloat
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