Th. Kanimidhoo has been removed from the list of islands and lagoons initially opened for tourism development. The government invited expressions of interest for several locations on May 30, 2024, which included 14 islands and 3 lagoons across various atolls. However, in a recent amendment to the initial announcement, the Ministry of Tourism decided to exclude Th. Kanimidhoo and a specific lagoon in Baa Atoll from this list. The Ministry has not disclosed the specific reasons behind the removal of these two sites.
Th. Kanimidhoo, which spans 68 hectares, was previously leased to a private party for long-term fisheries and agricultural projects. Following this, the management of the island was temporarily handed over to the Thaa Atoll Council before the government announced its inclusion in the tourism development plans. The excluded site in Baa Atoll is a lagoon area measuring approximately 0.62 hectares.
The government remains committed to expanding the tourism sector and increasing bed capacity across the Maldives. According to the latest statistics from the relevant authorities, the total number of tourism beds stood at 67,475 by the end of last year, marking an increase of 4,227 beds compared to the 63,248 beds recorded at the close of 2024. The administration aims to further boost national revenue from the tourism industry by developing additional islands and diversifying the sector’s offerings.
