The Maldives has witnessed an enormous economic change since the inhabited islands have been opened to tourism. Tourists coming from all across the globe now don’t have to stay in commercial resorts, they can live with the local population in privately-owned guesthouses. While the Maldives is undoubtedly a fascinating destination for international tourists, why professionals should choose a career in the Maldivian tourism industry?
This article will highlight the top 10 reasons why you should choose a career in the Maldivian hospitality industry. Before we dig deep into perks and privileges of serving the hospitality industry, let’s find out more about the hospitality industry in the Maldives:
The Maldivian Hospitality Industry
Republic of Maldives or Maldive Islands is an independent country situated in the north-central Indian Ocean. There are around 1,200 small coral islands in the country, out of which 200 are inhabited. The Maldives has a developing economy primarily based on tourism, fishing, and boat building. The tourism industry has been playing a decisive role in the economic growth of Maldives over the years.
The tourism industry in the Maldives has been established around the concept: “one-island-one-resort”, which means each island has one resort or hotel with all the employees living on the property. Most of the resorts in the country are located in the Kaafu Atoll and Ari Atoll near the airport. Male, the capital of the Maldives, has several hotels that cater mostly to business travelers.
The hospitality industry in the country encompasses many segments of businesses including transportation, lodging, resorts, cruises, restaurants, and other important segments related to tourism. All these segments are interconnected and have a direct impact on each other. The success of one segment largely depends on others. The following are four key segments:
1. Accommodation
The country has a total of 860 accommodation establishments as of June 2019. These establishments include 12 hotels, 152 resorts, 152 safari vessels, and 543 guest houses. The number of resorts and other accommodation establishments has been growing rapidly.
Lodging is a major part of the hospitality industry in the Maldives where tourists get clean, well-managed, and luxurious places to spend quality time. Hotels and resorts in the country categorize their customers differently. Some of the tourists are travelers, while others are corporate travelers who are in the country solely for business purposes. No matter what purpose brings travelers to the Maldives, they have high expectations in terms of hospitality services.
While the hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry, it doesn’t manufacture tangible goods. It provides services in the form of intangible experiences.
2. Food And Beverage
From the director of food and beverage to chefs and waiters, the food and beverage sector offers a variety of job opportunities. Careers in the food and drink sector cover a variety of areas: product development, food technology, customer experience, marketing and communication, research and design, nutrition, and wellbeing. Restaurants, catering businesses, bars & cafes, nightclubs, and other establishments where food and drinks are served offer lucrative employment opportunities.
3. Transportation
In the Maldives, islands are remotely located and linked through transportation infrastructure. Since the land transport system can’t be implemented, some islands are linked via bridges. Sea transport services are required in almost every atoll. The transportation sector also offers various positions ranging from logistics officers to drivers.
While there are four domestic airports, the country is served by Male International Airport. Travelers and locals use seaplanes, domestic airlines, and speedboats to travel from airports to resorts.
4. Recreation
Plenty of tourists visit the Maldives to pursue water sports, scuba diving, and other recreational activities. While some people just like to spend their holidays doing nothing, others can’t wait to experience snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, surfing, game fishing, and canoeing. The bigger resorts also have soccer fields and tennis courts. You can find many jobs in the recreational fields.
Joining The Hospitality Industry
For job seekers, the Maldivian hospitality industry is an attractive opportunity to build a successful and growth-oriented career. Diversity of jobs and the demand for varying skill levels make the Maldives an exciting market for ambitious professionals.
If you’re a true experience maker regardless of your skills or profession, you should explore more about job opportunities in the Maldivian hotels and resorts. Whether you’re a front desk officer who welcomes guests or a spa therapist that gives the massage, your success in the hospitality industry relies on your ability to meet or exceed service expectations.
As the hospitality industry is a combination of various businesses and a broad range of positions with varying skills within each business, there is something for most professionals. In the Maldives, a large number of local and foreign workers with different cultures, ages, and education levels are associated with the hospitality industry. If we look at the job requirements for entry-level positions, no formal education is required. However, management-level jobs demand a diverse range of skills and education.
Why Choose A Career In The Maldivian Tourism Industry
The hospitality industry in the Maldives is lively, vibrant, and always interesting. You probably know why the hospitality industry is so popular and why so many professionals want to join it. While the shifts can be long and tiring, hospitality jobs are highly rewarding for those who understand and perform their duties in a professional way.
The industry offers exciting career opportunities for both full-time and seasonal workers, ensuring impeccable work experience. Working as a part of the team at a hotel, resort, spa or amusement park will give you the chance to beef up your experience and professional network. Receiving on-the-job training and gaining experience in a culturally diverse environment can be a life-changing experience.
Hotels, resorts, and other establishments function properly due to teamwork which is carried out by a group of workers who know how to ensure customer satisfaction at all times. A passion for serving strangers and ensuring the success of the facility you work in will help you build a successful career.
If you’re a fresh graduate, you can still join the hospitality industry and gain the necessary experiences and exposures. Workers who understand the main essence of the industry are offered healthy growth potential.
The following are the top reasons why you should consider having a career in the Maldivian hospitality industry:
1. High-Paying Jobs
The hospitality industry in the country offers high-paying jobs such as facility manager and executive chef. Most management level jobs offer a handsome salary. As a foreigner worker, you need to secure a high-paying career so that you can meet your financial targets. There are plenty of high-paying jobs available at various hotels, spas, and resorts.
Related: 5 Benefits of working at a Resort in Maldives
Most of the businesses operating within the industry value their staff and provide attractive packages to their employees. A food service director, for example, gets anywhere from $5000 to $8000 per month. If your salary expectations are high, you should start searching for relevant career opportunities in the Maldives.
2. Growth And Stability
It’s important that you choose a career where you can make significant progress over time. Fortunately, the hospitality industry is one of those industries that provide workers with financial stability and career growth. Since the hospitality industry in the Maldives is expanding at a rapid pace, your chances to work your way up the ladder are numerous. Fresh graduates have to start from the bottom and work their way up by acquiring pertinent qualifications and experience.
Even during the recession, the hospitality industry experiences considerable growth. If the demand for the hospitality industry is increasing, it simply means the demand for hospitality workers is on the rise. Besides, hospitality businesses do everything in their capacity to retain talent so that job turnover can be reduced.
3. Peaceful Work Environment
If you’re looking to work in an environment where serenity and tranquility are in abundance, the Maldivian hospitality industry must be one of your top priorities. Stunning white-sand beaches and unrivaled luxury makes the Maldives an ideal destination for both workers and tourists. People who’re seeking a glamorous and peaceful tropical gateway have long had the Maldives at the top of their wishlist.
It’s challenging for foreign professionals to find a work environment where they can find peace as well as financial stability. So, don’t miss the boat and start planning to build a prosperous career in the Maldives.
4. A Chance To Demonstrate Your Creativity
Creativity and innovation have a huge impact on the global hospitality industry. In the current competitive environment, resorts and hotels alike use a combination of creativity, technology, and innovation to gain and maintain a long-term competitive advantage. If you're a creative person who loves to exploit personal faculties in order to deliver exquisite services, you must consider having a career in the hospitality industry.
Resorts and other establishments for tourists keep searching for creative ideas to inspire their customers. In such a situation, a creative worker is an asset. Getting away from the monotony of a never-changing routine will surely help you open up your mind and perform well at your job.
5. Opportunity To Understand Cultural Differences
As mentioned earlier, millions of people visit the Maldives for leisure and business purposes. The hospitality industry has to deal with people from various regions, languages, and cultures. As a hospitality worker, you have the opportunity to understand cultural differences and the significance of acceptance and harmony.
From Chinese and Germans to Indians and Englishmen, you’ll be meeting people from diverse backgrounds. The hospitality is one of those few industries where workers are exposed to cultural diversity and novelty.
6. Meet New People Everyday
TINYpulse revealed some interesting insights into the top happiest industries in the world. The hospitality was polled at number six. Opportunity to meet new faces every day and work with great people are two of the reasons why hospitality is ranked among the top happiest industries. Hospitality workers feel appreciated and recognized due to the environment they work in. If you’re a man of the people and know how to keep guests happy, you should join the Maldivian hospitality industry.
7. Tips And Bonuses
Not every industry enables their workers to boost their earnings with attractive tips and bonuses. One of the perks of working in hospitality is the potential for receiving good tips and bonuses in addition to your salary. Whether you work at a resort, on a cruise, or at a luxury hotel, you can benefit from the service charge customers pay. If you work on a cruise or on a resort, you may get bonuses depending on your performance.
Tips and bonuses are effective ways to keep hospitality staff on top of their game and motivate them to ensure excellent customer service. When the staff provides excellent service, their tips may go up as high as 20%. Moreover, some jobs offer free staff meals and discounts on hotel accommodation.
8. Adaptable, Universal Experience
Hospitality is all about ensuring a great customer experience, which means you should have a certain skill set that is internationally acknowledged and applicable. People associated with the industry can use their skills and experience across the globe. Hospitality skills can be used across fields from culinary arts and business management to HR and marketing. This is why having a degree in hospitality enables you to be more adaptable and universally acceptable.
Hospitality professionals working in the Maldives can employ their soft skills to survive in any industry in case they want to make a career switch.
9. Flexibility
Many hospitality jobs in the Maldives offer flexible work hours. You can find full-time and part-time, permanent and temporary jobs depending on your preferences. Students often seek temporary hospitality jobs to make some extra cash doing some seasonal work. In other words, the hospitality industry offers job seekers flexibility and freedom they need to build a promising career.
10. Job Security
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the travel and leisure industry will account for 11.5% of the world’s total GDP by 2029, and the industry will create millions of jobs worldwide. Professionals with certain soft skills are likely to have secure and stable jobs despite the advancements in automation technologies. When it comes to hospitality, it’s hard to replace human interactions with automation as bots can’t perform tasks that require creativity and decision making. So, workers associated with the hospitality industry don’t have to be worried about automation.
Final Words
There is a huge job market for foreigners in the Maldives. Almost 50% of the resort staff in the Maldives come from other countries. 50% of the staff must be Maldivian as per law. Resorts, hotels, and other establishments hire people with a background in the industry. From administrators to yoga instructors, foreigners are encouraged to join the Maldivian hospitality industry.
If you want to learn more about hospitality and hotel jobs in the Maldives, keep visiting Job Maldives where you’ll find valuable information about career development, current job openings, job hunting guides, and much more.
