Minister of Tourism Ibrahim Faisal has said that he will address and find a solution for local musicians in the face of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industries’ (MATI) proposal, citing a lack of enough talent in the Maldives, to bring in musicians from overseas to work at the country’s resorts.
The Musicians Union of Maldives directed heavy rebuke towards the MATI proposal, saying that the talk of lack of local artistes should be squashed as there were plenty of local musicians and performers ready and looking for opportunity.
Faisal, in response to the concerns, posted to social media, saying that the Mohamed Muizzu administration would not do anything that would harm the livelihood of Maldivian artists.
The assurance to the Maldivian artists is that the Muizzu administration will not do anything that will harm the [livelihoods of] Maldivian artists. His [Muizzu’s] aim is to provide fresh opportunities to Maldivian artists in the field of tourism. In the coming days, I will meet with the relevant authorities and listen to their concerns and find solutions with the advice of the President.
Ibrahim Faisal, Minister of Tourism, posting to social media to address concerns by local artists of possibly being sidelined due to a recent Maldives Association of Tourism Industries’ (MATI) proposal to bring in musicians from overseas, citing lack of enough local talent.
A paper submitted by MATI outlined that while the number of tourist facilities in the Maldives has increased, the local talent-pool was not enough to serve them all.
The resort music industry employs a large number of young people who have consistently expressed concern that overseas artistes are given priority in the tourism industry. The issue has, in the view of most local musicians, never been adequately addressed, with some resorts already hiring foreign musicians as in-house entertainers at cut-rate prices.