Human Resource Policies: Striving for Sustainable Tourism Outcomes in the Maldives

Abstract

At an operational level, the appropriate mix of government policies, laws and regulations can contribute to the long term sustainability of tourism destinations. While human resource development (HRD) has been recognized as a critical component for sustainable development of tourism destinations, in the context of Small Island Developing States few studies analyse whether appropriate policies are in place to address HRD needs and opportunities for the tourism sector. Drawing on research undertaken in the Maldives, this paper explores the role of government policies in HRD as a contributor to sustainable tourism development. Using mixed methodology, data were gathered from tourism educators, local community representatives, and a survey questionnaire mail-out for tourism industry managers. The findings indicate that the government has neglected HRD policies in their overall tourism development plans. Further, this research suggests that the ad hoc government policies in HRD related to tourism have had a detrimental effect on the long-term sustainability of the destination and viability of the Maldivian tourism sector.

The tourism disaster vulnerability framework: an application to tourism in small island destinations

“…For example, in the Caribbean tourism contributes 14.2% to the Caribbean's economy, generates one in every eight jobs, and accounts for 11.6% of total regional capital investment (WTTC 2011). In the Maldives, tourism contributes 30% to GDP and 63% of total employment (Shakeela et al 2012).…”

Tourisms development impacts: an appraisal of workplace issues, labour and human development

“…What is more, there is not only a need for tourism enterprises to innovative in order to achieve economic success and competitiveness, but also to implement environmental and social innovation to promote tourism sustainability (Booyens & Rogerson, 2016a;Panfiluk, 2021). This said, education and training in T&H is lacking in many developing country contexts, especially on the tertiary level (Booyens, 2020;Shakeela et al, 2012). As a result, human resource capabilities and overall skill levels in tourism are observed to be particularly low in African countries for example (Maumbe & van Wyk, 2011;Mayaka & Akama, 2007).…”

“…to their actions and functions, accordingly impacts T&H education, training and skills planning adversely, particularly in developing countries where dedicated policy for human resource development in tourism is often lacking (Adu-Ampong, 2017; Mayaka & Akama, 2007;Shakeela et al, 2012).…”

“…While strategic planning in tourism is a collective endeavour involving government and the private sector, an overall lack of planning and also commitment on the part of tourism stakeholders to catalyse sustainable tourism persist (Baum, 2018;Baum et al, 2016). Both tourism planning and institutional collaboration in tourism within the public sector, and between actors in the public domain and tourism private sectors, are absent or at best constrained especially in developing country contexts (Adu-Ampong, 2017;Booyens, 2016;Shakeela et al, 2012). Stoffelen (2019) highlights one of the main obstacles to establishing collaborative arrangements in these places, namely that decision-making vis-à-vis tourism is dispersed between public, private and civil society actors, with scattered and contradictory impacts of tourism development emerging across social, economic and environmental spheres.…”

The Routledge Handbook of Tourism in Asia

“…The full economic benefits of tourism as an employer, additionally, are curtailed by reliance on expatriate labour and resulting leakages (Shakeela, Ruhanen & Breakey, 2012). Such reliance occurs because tourism is perceived by locals as an undesirable sector in which to work, and at best a necessary evil .…”