Maldives government orders hotel spas shut

[Beachlover]

Why do countries with Muslim governments continually make themselves look sooooo backwards to the world?

I mean, come on... shutting down all 5-star luxury hotel spas due to baseless claims of them being used as brothels? What an utterly stupid decision. Tourism is an economic lifeline to the country and these spas are a critical element to the resorts.

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From: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-new ... 1pho8.html (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/sex-claims-force-luxury-resorts-to-close-spas-20120102-1pho8.html)

Sex claims force luxury resorts to close spas
January 2, 2012 - 10:21AM

The Maldives has ordered hundreds of luxury hotels to close their spas after protests by an Islamist party which claimed they were a front for prostitution, an official says.

The tourism ministry instructed all resort hotels across the country's 1192 tiny coral islands to shut their spas and health centres with immediate effect.

The opposition Adhaalath party, a socially conservative movement whose website features an article criticising "lustful music", staged protests in the capital Male last week accusing spas of being used as brothels...

Read the rest: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-new ... 1pho8.html (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/sex-claims-force-luxury-resorts-to-close-spas-20120102-1pho8.html)
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[Beachlover]

They'll lose tonnes of tourists if the ban continues.

More...

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From: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-new ... 1piwg.html (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/sex-claims-slammed-by-maldives-tourism-industry-20120103-1piwg.html)

Sex claims slammed by Maldives tourism industry
January 3, 2012 - 10:35AM

The tourism industry in the Maldives yesterday denied that health spas at luxury holiday resorts operate as brothels and sought legal redress to squash the government orders to shut the facilities.

Last week the tourism ministry instructed resort hotels across the nation's coral islands to close all spas and health centres offering beauty treatments and massages.

The crackdown followed protests by an Islamist party that claimed they were a front for prostitution.

"Sex tourism definitely does not happen in the resorts," Sim Ibrahim, the head of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), said by telephone from the capital Male.

"The ban is very disruptive, not helpful for tourism and bad for our country's image. We have asked for legal clarity to protect an industry that...

Read the rest: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-new ... 1piwg.html (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/sex-claims-slammed-by-maldives-tourism-industry-20120103-1piwg.html)
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