Visitors’ Environment Awareness in the Maldives

抄録

　Geotourism of the Maldives includes a great diversity of attractions such as the appealing atoll-and-reef ecosystems that uniquely characterize the Maldives island archipelago. Under a policy of nature conservation and preservation of their society’s socio-cultural identity, the Government of Maldives has developed (geo-) tourism exclusively on the principles of a “one hotel – one island” type of tourist habitation. All such tourist resort islands were converted from deserted and uninhabited islands and equipped with comprehensive facilities for overseas visitors’ ambitious demands for accommodation, board and leisure. These tiny islands constitute, by nature, fragile marine ecosystems and their fragility is exacerbated by (mass) tourist hospitation. The tourist resort islands accommodate up to several hundreds of tourists, who put great stress on the various atoll-and-reef ecosystems of the islands. As a consequence, heavy tourist visitation has caused disturbances to the ecosystems, though the Government of Maldives strongly controls tourism as a key national industry and aims for sustainable development.

　Questionnaire surveys at two major resort islands have shown that visitors have a high degree of awareness of the fragility of the Maldives islands’ environment. Visitors also express their willingness to support environment-friendly tourism, underlining the visitors’ greatly developed concern for the environment. Moreover, visitors demonstrate acceptance of the government’s strict environmental rules and regulations for conserving the Maldives as a “natural paradise.” Environmental education may, however, be developed for an even more comprehensive awareness by the visitors of the fragile atoll-and-reef ecosystems of the Maldives.