President Dr. Muizzu Initiates Major Push to Develop HDh. Atoll as a Tourism Destination

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the government has begun concrete efforts to establish HDh. Atoll as a thriving tourism hub, shedding its long-standing reputation as an atoll without tourism. Speaking during a visit to Naivaadhoo today, the President revealed that 10 areas, including islands and lagoons, have been opened for tourism development with significant concessions offered to attract investment.

Dr. Muizzu emphasized that this marks the first time HDh. Atoll is seeing such large-scale steps toward tourism expansion. “This is something that hasn’t happened in this atoll until now. No one has been able to make tourism work in this atoll. We have now taken very important steps towards this,” he said.

The President noted that the government’s approach focuses on both local and international tourism opportunities. He confirmed that several of the newly opened islands have already garnered investor interest and are now in the bidding stage. “We will work to remove the label of this atoll not having tourism until now, and make it an atoll where tourism thrives maturely,” he added.

Highlighting a major development, Dr. Muizzu said that Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has now been cleared to proceed with work on Naagoshi, a project that had stalled for years. “We have now paved the way for this to proceed. God willing, it will move forward at a very fast pace,” he assured.

During his meeting with the people of Naivaadhoo, the President reiterated the government’s commitment to delivering on promises and addressing local concerns, alongside broader economic opportunities created through tourism expansion.

The government’s vision, Dr. Muizzu said, is to ensure that HDh. Atoll — long overlooked in the country’s tourism map — becomes a mature destination contributing significantly to both the local economy and the national tourism industry.