The Maldives will offer for auction 16 uninhabited islands for lease

Malé – The Maldivian government will auction off 16 of its mostly uninhabited islands. Successful bidders will acquire them for 50 years on the condition that they build a hotel with at least a certain number of beds. The cabinet hopes this will help stimulate tourism damaged by the pandemic, a representative told the DPA agency.

An island in the Indian Ocean in southern Asia, covering 1.2 hectares, is being offered for $210,000 (4.4 million CZK), while a slightly larger one at 10.4 ha is available for $1.5 million (31.4 million CZK). Applicants will be required to consider the local sensitive ecosystems in their projects. They should utilize energy from renewable sources, and about half of the local vegetation is expected to remain untouched.

Applications can be submitted until June 10. However, the highest bidder for the island rental will not necessarily be the one who wins. The government has created a point system, awarding 60 points for the highest bid, 20 points if the project employs at least 70 percent locals – of which at least five percent must be women – and ten points can be earned if the bidder invests money in the government tourism fund. The Ministry of Tourism hopes this will lead to the creation of 3,700 additional beds over the next three years, generating investments of $370 million.