The Maldives Travel Conference 2024 Women's Edition, organized by the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), was held at Hotel Jen in Male' on Monday.
In her remarks at the opening of the conference, MATATO CEO Aminath Suzan said this is a movement to overcome challenges faced by women.
"We must work for women's development and advancement. Only five percent of women are involved in tourism. This needs to change. This [conference] is a start," she said.
First Lady Sajidha Mohamed. -- Photo: Miraan Nashim/ Adhadhu
First Lady Sajidha Mohamed, who attended the conference as the chief guest, said tourism is the backbone of Maldives and research must be done to find out why women's participation is low in the industry.
Noting that women's participation in different fields should be increased, Sajidha stated that more effort must be put into overcoming challenges faced by women and establishing equality.
"The low number of women in the 50-year-old tourism industry is a concerning issue. That needs to be changed and awareness should be raised. The government is also working for gender equality," she said.
The conference included a panel discussion on Women in Management and Women in Tourism.
