Guest-houses in the Maldives: towards Community-based tourism

Tourism is a major economic sector in the Republic of Maldives. Based on a "one-island-one-resort" model, it has kept tourists away from Maldivian society to protect it. Launched in 2010, the opening of a number of guest rooms has made it possible to develop tourism on the populated islands and to promote encounters between tourists and inhabitants. This thesis analyses the effects of this sector. It questions the integration of tourism into Maldivian society. It shows that, beyond cultural differences, many questions arise: employment, education, wealth distribution, preservation of the environment, territorial governance, etc... This integration would be promoted by a tourism model inspired by Community-based tourism. The thesis provides recommendations for the application of such a model.