14 DAY TRIAL // Going to the Maldives on holiday is often described as a once in a lifetime opportunity: first off, because of the distance, and secondly because of the high rates applied at the resorts. If the spa ban takes effect, a stay there will probably be much cheaper.
The strongest suit of any resort in the Maldives is the spa service, though there are plenty other things to do as well on the white-sand beaches and in the turquoise waters.
Nevertheless, it's the spas that have made them an ideal spot for honeymooners, celebrities and, in general, people who can afford to pay upwards of $1,000 (€767) per night.
Now, authorities have ruled that all spas will be shut down for being basically similar to brothels. In issuing the ban, the government is giving in to pressure from opposition groups, Reuters believes.
All objections to the spas were religiously motivated.
“The government has decided to close massage parlors and spas in the Maldives, following an opposition-led religious protest last week calling for their closure,” a statement from the office of President Mohamed Nasheed reads.
“Ironically, the same opposition leaders who railed against spas and the selling of alcohol and pork to tourists are some of the country's biggest resort owners,” says the same statement, hinting that the proposition for the ban could actually be a covert power struggle.
The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) is determined to fight the ban, The Telegraph reports.
MATI is saying that banning spas (beauty treatments, massages and everything else they involved) would deal a devastating blow to the hotels – and tourism in the area in general.
Just last year, over 850,000 people visited the islands, leaving her serious cash, most of it on spa treatments.
For the time being though, few are the resorts to have complied with the ban, says the British publication.
“The luxury Huvafen Fushi resort, where rooms cost up to £6,500 [$10,173.8 / €7,802.5] a night, said its spa is open and is continuing to take bookings. The Banyan Tree, Four Seasons, Six Senses and Shangri-La resorts have also confirmed that their spas are operating as normal,” the aforementioned media outlet informs.