It is close to 30 years since Maldives became involved with tourism, and great advances have been made in that time.

Whether we like it or not, tourism has brought three very good things to Maldives.

Firstly, it has taught Maldivians to respect and value their culture, and be proud of it.

Secondly, it has made us aware of the environment and the need to protect it if we want to sustain the tourist industry in the long term.

Lastly, tourism has brought us foreign currency and made US dollars available to the public.

Tourism is a sophisticated industry in the Maldives, with steady improvements over the years in the standard of services offered to visitors.

Prices have multiplied many times, and the tourist demographic has changed too.

Germany is no longer the country of origin of most tourists. Another country has taken its place.

All over the world Germany is famous for its tourists, and we should be doing all we can to maintain our share of this market.

Once again we are hearing reports that ideas are being gathered for a new tourism master plan.

In the past, the main target set by the plans has been to increase the total number of tourists arriving in Maldives.

No effort was made to make the most out of these tourists. If we had tried harder, we would have set up a cultural centre, or a maritime museum, or a handicraft industry with authentic Maldivian handicrafts.

It is up to us to organise things so that tourists spend money in Maldives, and leave more dollars here.

Before Maldives becomes too well-known, and before it becomes stale news and people stop coming here, we must move effectively to get into the new markets.

We have heard that Maldives recently attended the Dima Show to attract the American market.

It was like singing an old song with a few added tricks.

We tried earlier to get a foothold in this market, but because we stopped at a certain point, we have not seen any improvement.

Now, Maldives should be aiming at the specialty tourist markets, such as aged people, the health market, conference tourism and bonus holidays for company employees.

Every year we hear there is an increasing number of tourists arriving in Maldives. But in a recent interview by the Maldives Airport Authority it was reported that the number of airplanes landing in Maldives was decreasing despite seasonal variations.

This year there were empty rooms in some resorts even during the peak season.

Maybe there is no problem; less planes are landing but bigger planes are carrying more tourists, and perhaps the resorts are too large.

Whatever the answer, there is much to ponder here.