Higher Education Ministry to fund language training for locals in tourism sector

The Ministry of Higher Education, Labor and Skills Development signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on Monday with Maldives National University (MNU), and Islamic University of Maldives (IUM) to train Maldivians in foreign language communication skills.

The initiative focuses on teaching languages spoken in countries that bring the highest number of tourists to the Maldives.

The Ministry of Higher Education stated that the tourism sector plays a vital role in driving economic growth and creating job opportunities for the country.

The ministry noted that the Maldives receives a large number of tourists annually, many of whom communicate in Mandarin, Arabic, French, German, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Italian.

While many Maldivians are employed in the tourism sector, one of the biggest challenges is the lack of properly trained staff to communicate in foreign languages, the ministry said. Bridging this communication gap will improve service quality and enhance the tourism experience.

The ministry added that learning foreign languages will facilitate employment and career advancement for Maldivian workers. Therefore, it is essential to teach basic communication skills in these languages.

The tuition fees for students participating in the training program will be arranged by the Ministry of Higher Education. The initiative is part of a key government manifesto promise.

The program targets current tourism sector employees and those interested in entering the field.

Languages and the number of students to be trained:

The Maldives received two million tourists last year, and the government aims to attract 2.3 million tourists this year. So far in 2025, 1.7 million tourists have arrived, mostly from China.