Maldives eyes $100 million tourist tax for CO2 plan

July 07, 2012|Nina Chestney | Reuters
(Dinuka Liyanawatte Reuters, REUTERS)

LONDON (Reuters) - A voluntary tax on tourists who visit the luxury resorts and white sands of the Maldives could raise up to $100 million a year towards the country's aim to become carbon neutral by 2020, President Mohamed Waheed said.

The Maldives is made up of 1,192 low-lying islands in the Indian Ocean. With average ground level of 1.5 meters above sea level, it is also the world's lowest country and one of the most vulnerable as climate change raises sea levels.


In 2009, former President Mohamed Nasheed outlined a plan for the Maldives to become the world's first carbon neutral country, having net zero carbon dioxide emissions, by 2020.


Waheed, who was Nasheed's vice president and took over the presidency, said the country now preferred a voluntary tax.

"We have proposed the idea of a voluntary fund for air travelers coming to the Maldives. Even if each tourist contributed $10, that's $10 million (a year) for us and a substantial contribution to the carbon neutral program," he told Reuters this week.

An airport construction project agreed last year will require $27 from each visitor and Waheed does not want to further burden the tourism industry, which officially accounts for 30 percent of the Maldives' $2.1-billion economy, but is thought to be closer to 75-80 percent.

"I believe most of the tourists who come to the Maldives are environmentally conscious and quite happy to make a contribution to making the Maldives carbon neutral," Waheed added.







"We are a little bit behind schedule (on the renewables plan) but we hope we will be able to catch up over the next 5 years or so," Waheed said.

"Male is not the most ideal island location right now - it doesn't have 'green' buildings but a lot of companies are interested in developing them."

Out of 100 resorts on the islands, 7 are considered to be "ecofriendly", which means they try to minimize their carbon footprint, and one resort should get "carbon neutral" status by next year, he said.


(Editing by Janet Lawrence)