Shangri-La Vilingili set to reopen before year’s end

Shangri-La Villingili – once a key source of income for residents of Addu City – will reopen before the end of this year, says Tourism Minister Thoriq Ibrahim.

The first tourist resort to open in Addu, Shangri-La Vilingili had closed indefinitely in 2020 – at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The prolonged closure of the resort remains a key concern of the people of Addu, the most populous city in the Maldives after the capital, Male’.

In a meeting with reporters on Tuesday morning, Thoriq said the decision to reopen the resort before the end of the year was made following extensive talks between the government and management of Shangri-La.

Thoriq said that a team from the Tourism Ministry is currently at the resort, conducting an assessment of the condition of the villas and other facilities there.

“It is very well-maintained. A lot of the facilities and rooms are very well-maintained,” he said.

Thoriq said the remaining renovations will be done and the resort reopened within the next three months.

He noted the reopening of the resort will increase job opportunities and boost tourism in the southern city of Addu.

Shangri-La Vilingili was run by Addu Investment, a joint venture between the Maldivian government and Shangri-La Maldives. In 2023, the then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced that the government had presented documents to Addu Investment rescinding their 30 percent share in the company.

In 2024, his successor President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s first tourism minister, Ibrahim Faisal said the administration was engaged in numerous efforts to help the resort reopen.

The Shangri-La Vilingili had once employed over 100 Addu residents, and was a source of income for hundreds of families.

The reopening of Shangri-La Vilingili, coupled with improved air connectivity, is expected to provide a significant boost to the economy of southern Maldives.