USD 25 Million Required for Renovation of Shangri-La Villingili Resort, Minister Reveals 

Minister of Tourism Ibrahim Faisal has announced that USD 25 million (MVR 386 million) is needed to renovate Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa in order to resume its operations. 

The announcement was made during the “Destination Addu Summit” held in Addu City, the southernmost atoll of the Maldives.

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Minister Faisal emphasised that the reopening of the now-closed Shangri-La Villingili Resort is a top government priority as part of their broader strategy to promote and expand tourism in Addu City. He mentioned that extensive discussions have been held on potential approaches to advance the renovation work during recent meetings on the matter.

The Minister noted that discussions with parliamentarians from the Addu Constituency and the Shangri-La management revealed that several tasks remain pending to bring the resort back to operational condition. “We discussed how Shangri-La can be brought back into operation during the meeting. This assessment led us to believe that the efforts, which include substantial renovation work, will be time-consuming and will cost nearly USD 25 million,” he stated. He further mentioned plans to personally visit the resort’s owners to finalise decisions on the way forward.

Minister Faisal highlighted the significance of resuming operations at Shangri-La, pointing out that the closure has led to the loss of approximately 500 jobs for Addu residents. He expressed optimism that reopening the resort would revitalise the local economy.

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort was developed in partnership with Shangri-La, a major hotel company based in Hong Kong, China, in 2005. The resort ceased operations following the Covid-19 pandemic. In August 2023, the previous administration under President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih signed an agreement to relinquish 30 per cent of the State’s shares in the resort.

Located just five minutes by speedboat from Gan International Airport in Addu City, Shangri-La was once a popular destination for wealthy tourists, significantly boosting local businesses in Addu during its peak operations.

Minister Faisal also stated that the United Kingdom as an ideal market to promote Addu City. He highlighted Addu City’s historic ties with the UK, making it a strategic location for tourism promotion. He announced plans to renovate British-built structures in Addu City as part of these efforts and urged participation in the World Travel Market (WTM) in the UK to further boost tourism.

Minister Faisal reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding tourism in the Addu region and highlighted the special priority given to making Shangri-La Resort operational again. He also mentioned that a special plan is being formulated to further develop tourism in Addu City and explore new opportunities for growth.