| |
 Maldives
Islands
Diving Research
|
|
| DIVERS'
PERCEPTION - THE MALDIVES |
This
research was carried out by Ahmed Salih as partial fulfilment of course
requirements for Post Graduate Diploma in Centre for Tourism at University
of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand in 2000.
The study focused on understanding the level of satisfaction among
divers and the perception of diving experience during their vacation
in the Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean.
A self administered questionnaire was used to survey the divers during
February and March 2000. The results were analysed using SPSS. The
results show that the divers are extremely satisfied with the overall
experience. |
| ABSTRACT |
| This
study was designed to examine the demographic, socio-economic characteristics,
diving related attributes, and the perception of the quality of experience
of the divers visiting the Maldives. The results provide a diver profile,
the level of satisfaction among the divers and divers’ opinion
regarding some dive related attributes/issues and Maldivian tourism
product. |
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
This
study was made possible with the generous assistance from a number
of individuals and organisations. First of all, I would like to thank
Dr. Alison McIntosh (Centre for Tourism, University of Otago) for
her assistance in carrying out the study.
To the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Hassan Sobir, I am grateful for the
support given to me in administering the questionnaire in the Maldives,
and to my colleagues specially Sharmeela for the personal interest
she took in this study. I thank the management of all the resorts
and dive schools, who welcomed the questionnaire and to all the divers
who took time off their vacation to make it happen. |
|
| INTRODUCTION |
Tourism
is a dynamic, multifaceted and is regarded as the largest industry.
The World Tourism Organisation (1999) forecasts that the earnings
from international tourism will soar from US$ 443 billion in 1997
to more than US$ 2 trillion in 2020. Small island nations like the
Maldives want to share the benefits of tourism because it generates
the desperately needed foreign exchange earnings, creates employment,
and the multiplier effect of tourism is substantial.
Maldivian tourism industry is totally based on the natural environment.
More of the country being under water, it has the perfect ingredients
to make it one of the great diving destinations: good visibility,
the sheer number and variety of fish, and thriving coral reefs (Camerapix,
1992; Hassan, et al, 1994). So Scuba Diving is the main recreational
activity offered in the resorts. It is estimated that 35 per cent
of the tourists visiting the Maldives participate in diving. Information
regarding how the divers perceive their experience could be utilised
in a number of avenues. This study was carried out to aiming to understand
some of the behavioural aspects of the divers. |
|
| OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY |
This
study aims to fulfil the following objectives.
1 - To examine the perception held by divers regarding the quality
of their diving experience in the Maldives.
This
objective was adopted because it is important to understand the divers’
response to tourism activities and its application in advertising
or consumer persuasion (Bealer & Willits, 1989).
2
- To document sociodemographic variables of the divers visiting the
country.
This
objective was adopted because the perception of the quality of experience
differs depending on sociodemographic variables Crompton (1979), Goodrich
(1978) and Reilly (1990). Furthermore, information such as nationality,
age, gender, occupation are useful in target marketing.
3
- To study the level of diver satisfaction.
This
objective was adopted because the divers’ satisfaction levels
will determine whether they will return to the Maldives or not and
pass on positive word of mouth (Bryant et al, (1998).
4
- To understand the divers’ view regarding certain issues related
to diving, and Maldivian tourism product in general.
This
objective was adopted to obtain the divers’ view on some important
issues related to diving. These include the controversial limitations
of a dive depth limit of 30 meters implemented by Ministry of Tourism,
the level of damage to corals, cost of diving in the Maldives and
the limited opportunities available to experience the local culture
and way of life. |
|
| SCUBA
DIVING |
"The
Silent World" Jacques Coustea
Humans have been hunting the oceans for food for many years equipped
with tools of different sizes and shapes. During the depression of
1930’s and 1940’s young skin divers hunt the coastal waters
for fish, lobsters or for any fresh seafood. Their equipment was mostly
home-made and consisted of little more than a mask or goggles.
Many people believe that the first self-contained underwater breathing
apparatus was invented by Jacques Cousteau or Hans Hass. In contrary
a Paris dentist, Lemaire D'Augerville beat both of them in 1828 (David,
1999, Cousteau, 2000). Little is known about D'Augerville except that
he was trying to make some money by salvaging contents of sunken ships.
(Colin Taylor, 1996)
Since the invention of the breathing apparatus, the equipment has
undergone a lot of changes, allowing easy access to the sport of diving
for people with different level of capabilities. Large numbers of
divers are enjoying the underwater world day and night. Millions of
people have followed the footsteps of the pioneers of diving into
the depth of the oceans to experience the adventure and the excitement
for themselves.
Today scuba-diving " has become one of the most appealing of
all leisure activities, totally hooking many of those who take part".
The
feeling of weightlessness and the magnificent offerings and the sensational
clear blue sea is attracting more and more people to diving.
Diving
also presents opportunities to study of the extraordinary marine life
that exists only underwater. While some divers are excited by the
possibility of finding treasure underwater, others take to underwater
archaeology and some become involved in marine conservation projects. |
|
| MALDIVES
AS A DIVE DESTINATION |
The
Maldives contains thousands of submerged reefs with rainbow-coloured
fish, corals and critters. The warm tropical temperature with an average
of 24 degrees Celsius, visibility at more than 30 meters and easy
access to a large number of coral reefs attracts divers from different
parts of the world each year.
"The Maldives are certainly one of the great wonders of the world.
Here more than anywhere else on the planet, perhaps, one can savour
the beauty of undersea fauna" Hans Hass.
The marine species living on all the reefs are not the same. While
some reefs in the Maldives are homes for sharks, some for turtles,
others have all the attractions like Maya Thila in North Ari Atoll.
This submerged reef is "…. one of the most exciting and
vibrant reef systems in the world. One of those that underwater adventurers
dream about and die to see." (Aw, 1999)
The
first divers to the Maldives were Italians but contrary to what we
are experiencing today, their main purpose was hunting. They arrived
in the Maldives, equipped with spear guns and other hunting gear.
They used spear guns daily in and killed sharks, manta rays and eels.
The first brochure on Maldives was prepared to promote Maldives as
a good place for spear fishing. However, German tourists who visited
the country in the same year raised their voice against spear fishing
and use of guns in the water. So the resort operators banned spear
fishing and today spear fishing is banned in the Maldives (Ministry
of Tourism, 1998). |
|
| STUDIES
ON SCUBA DIVING |
A landmark
study recently released by the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association
(DEMA) reveals that close to half of adult Americans are interested
in scuba diving.
"This study is significant because in addition to the 16 million
Americans who consider themselves active diving participants, there
are more than 75 million Americans who want to know more about our
sport" Robert Watts, DEMA’s Executive Director.
This study also revealed the attractive demographic features of the
dive fraternity; 40 per cent of the potential American dive market
has an annual household income of more than $ 50,000. Out of the total
surveyed, 77 per cent are under 45 years old and 67 percent are college
educated.
According to Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
there are 8.5 million certified scuba divers in the United States.
PADI alone has certified between 8 to 8.5 million divers worldwide.
Diving is dominated by male gender (72 per cent), however the gap
is gradually reducing. There is an increase in the number of females
following diving. For example. Out of the total membership of the
British Sub Aqua Club 35 per cent are women. The average age is 36
years and 58 per cent of divers are married.
When these figures are compared with studies done by Skin Divers in
1987 and in 1989, there are not many variations. They also found that
divers are well educated, young, financially secure and dominated
by male. Similarly, the average age increased from 30.8 in 1987 to
35.3 in 1989. In the study done by PADI they have found that the age
has gone up to 36. This increase in age could be due to highly advanced
and state of the art equipment and training. So diving is no longer
a sport for the hardy few but for anyone seeking new adventure. |
|
| STUDY
DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY |
This
study was designed primarily to understand the divers’ perception
of the quality of diving experience in the Maldives. As secondary
data on the topic is not available, primary data on several aspects
of the divers were needed to achieve the objectives of the study.
A research process to gain an understanding of divers’ perceptions
of quality of services and their respective sources of satisfaction/dissatisfaction
with diving experience in the Maldives was applied (Bryant et al,
1998).
Study area, research sample and procedures, study instrument, methods
of analysis, administration of the questionnaire, limitations of the
study are discussed in the following sections. |
|
| THE
STUDY AREA |
Diving
in the Maldives is mainly limited to 10 atolls out of the 20 atolls
comprising the archipelago (Refer Fig. 1). Hence, the main focus of
the study was to cover these 10 atolls; North Male and South Male
Atoll (K), North Ari Atoll (NA), South Ari Atoll (SA), Baa Atoll (B),
Raa Atoll (R), Lhaviyani Atoll (LH), Vaavu Atoll (V), Faafu Atoll
(F), Dhaal Atoll (DH), Meemu Atoll (M) and Addu Atoll (S). Resorts
from each of the above atoll were chosen aiming to cover the dive
sites in each atoll. It was not possible to include all the resorts
in each atoll, live aboard safaris and dive schools operating in the
capital due to financial and administering limitations. Table 1 shows
the resorts selected for the survey.
Fig. 1: Map of the Maldives |
|
| THE
STUDY INSTRUMENT |
The
study instrument consisted of a structured questionnaire containing
behavioural, demographic, and attitudinal questions. The questionnaire
was used chosen with the objective of obtaining accurate information
from respondents and to provide a structure and format as well as
to facilitate data analysis. The questionnaire comprised of three
sections: a) a diver profile, b) visitor satisfaction, and c) a general
socio-demographic section.
To analyse divers’ perception visiting the country, a representative
sample of divers visiting the country could have been used. However,
because of time and money being limited, the spatial and temporal
scope of the study was limited. |
|
| RESPONSE
RATE |
Out
of the 1430 questionnaires distributed only 287 (20%) were returned.
Out of the 36 resorts, 24 resorts sent back completed questionnaires
(Refer Table 2). The resort management
and the dive school staff were contacted a number of times to increase
the response rate. The reasons for the low response rate are manifold.
The main reason reported by the resorts was language barrier. As this
is the first study of this nature at resort level the resort management
and dive school could be vary of the real purpose and the benefits
of the study, even though the purpose was clearly mentioned in the
introduction. However, the response rate achieved is not low compared
to other studies in the field (Oppermann, 1996). |
|
| LIMITATIONS
TO THE STUDY |
| The obtained
sample cannot be considered representative of divers visiting the
Maldives. Perhaps a response rate of 50 per cent is more desirable.
The study was a one shot case study, and data collection was not a
random process. Furthermore, the distribution of the survey and the
makeup of the diving market make it difficult to adequately capture
all segments of the marketplace. Therefore the study must be considered
as exploratory. While the survey method did not ensure every diver
visiting the Maldives had an equal opportunity of participation, the
results provide an "indicative" picture of divers’
opinion, as the researcher did not know any other similar study in
the Maldives. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for
the Social Sciences (SPSS version 7). |
|
| PRIMARY
RESULTS & DISCUSSION |
| Out
of the 36 resorts, responses were received from 24 resorts (Refer
Table 2). The average response rate from the 19 resorts is 39.5
per cent. Only Rihiveli Beach Resort and Ihuru Tourist Resort completed
all the questionnaires. |
|
| SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS
|
Nationality
The following Table 3 is a comparison
of nationality breakdown of the respondents with the arrivals in the
Maldives from the respective nationalities in 1999. While some markets
have been over-represented, others are under-represented in the study.
For example, Switzerland, France and Austria are over-represented
while the Netherlands, and Japan are under-represented. However, the
main generating markets; Italy and Germany are well represented.
Country of Residence
The study indicates that divers from various nationalities residing
in countries like Turkey, New Caledonia, United Arab Emirates, Cyprus,
and Vanuatu are visiting the country (Refer
Table 4).
Age Structure
The age structure of the sample agrees with the studies carried by
PADI and DEMA. The study by DEMA revealed that 77 per cent of the
divers are less than 45 years old. PADI study revealed that the average
age is 36 years old. This study shows that 48 per cent of the divers
are in the age bracket 30-39 (Refer Graph
1). When these figures are compared with studies done by Skin
Divers in 1987 and in 1989, there are little variations. They also
found that the average age increased from 30.8 in 1987 to 35.3 in
1989.
Education
Several studies in sociodemographics of diving fraternity have indicated
that divers are highly educated (Skin Diver, 1987 & 1989) This
study demonstrates similar characteristics. 48.73 per cent of the
respondents have attended university education with either at Under
Graduate or Post Graduate level (Refer
Graph 2).
Employment
Graph 3 depicts the employment status
of the respondents. 60 per cent of the respondents are employed full
time, 23 per cent are self-employed, 5 per cent are employed part
time and only 3 per cent are unemployed. The sociodemographics of
divers visiting the Maldives could be summarised as mature, highly
educated and financially sound. |
|
| DIVER
PROFILE |
The
first question in section A, tries to find the countries where the
respondent had the first dive experience. The results show the wider
travel pattern of divers (Refer Table
5). This supports the notion that divers are novelty seekers and
will not revisit a place they have visited in the past unless new
experiences are expected. The high percentage of the divers (27.08
per cent) indicating that had their first diving experience in the
Maldives could be visitors who took up diving in the Maldives during
this trip or on a previous trip. The second highest number of divers
had their first experience in Italy (12.5 per cent), followed by Germany
(7.64 per cent).
The second question in this section assessed the diving certification
held by the divers. The results reveal that 34.9 per cent of the divers
are holding Open Water Certificate. 23.3 per cent with Advanced/Advanced
Plus level Certification, 13.1 per cent with Rescue Diver Certificate,
9.5 per cent with CMAS two star certificate, and 5.1 per cent with
Divemaster Certificate.
Graph 4 shows the number of years
divers have been involved in diving. The findings reveal that only
19.44 per cent of the divers have been involved diving less than one
year. So the divers visiting the country is experienced. As a result
the divers have a referral points to compare their experience in the
Maldives. They can perfectly comprehend the favourable and the less
favourable features of their experience in the Maldives. It is important
to attract experienced divers rather than beginners as the damage
to the marine environment will be minimal form experienced divers
unlike the beginners who are learning to control their buoyancy. |content|
|top|
Another question that is related to the travel pattern of respondents
is the average number of dives per year. The results indicate that
65 per cent of the divers had less than 30 diving experiences in a
year. Out of the total responses 21 per cent indicated that they had
a diving experience between 31 and 51 times in a year, 6 per cent
with 52 – 72 diving experiences and 8 per cent with more than
73 diving experiences in a year (Refer
Graph 5).
The results to question 2 of this section show that divers travel
quite extensively. 31 per cent of the respondents have travelled to
more than 4 countries, 20 per cent have been to 3 countries, 22 per
cent to 2 countries and only 10 per cent have been to only one country.
Majority of the respondents has visited to Egypt, Germany and Italy.
The purpose of question 3 in this section was to find the prime competitors
for the Maldives as a diving destination. Egypt is noted by the respondents
as the destination with the most satisfying diving experience followed
by Australia, Mexico and Philippines.
Where do divers get the information about the Maldives? Graph
6 shows sources divers refer for procuring information about the
Maldives. The main sources are magazines, books and brochures (29
per cent), friends and relatives (23 per cent), tour operators (13
per cent), travel agents (14 per cent), and Internet (11 per cent).
Maldives should be proud of hosting a very high number of repeat divers.
This is clearly seen in Table 6.
Only 22 percent of the respondents are visiting for the first time,
19 per cent have visited the country two times and 60 per cent have
visited more than twice. This is in contrary to the study done by
Ghazali, (1992). His studies indicate that only 8.9 per cent of the
divers visited Spidan in Malaysia more than two times. More repeat
business clearly indicates the highest level of satisfaction and the
loyalty among the divers. However, the large number of repeat visitors
has its drawbacks; they have high expectations and could be demanding.
With regard to the duration of stay, the shortest stay recorded is
2 nights and the longest stay is 150. The mean is 13 nights with a
standard deviation of 11.68. (Refer Table
7). This reflects the holiday characteristics of the European
market. The average length of holiday in Europe is about 2 weeks.
32 per cent of the respondents indicated that their length of stay
is 14 days and 15.1 per cent indicated that their stay is 7 days.
The national average of duration of stay in 1999 was 8.07 (Ministry
of Tourism, 1999). So majority of the divers are staying longer than
the national average making the dive market very attractive.
The responses to question 7 indicated that divers visit the Maldives
mainly for diving (Refer Table 8).
80 per cent of divers indicated that the purpose of the trip is solely
to dive in the Maldives. 15 per cent of the divers visit the Maldives
for general holiday including diving. 3 per cent reported that they
visit the country for purposes other than diving. Only 1 per cent
included diving with another country on this trip. Ghazali’s
(1992) study also showed that 79.9 per cent of the divers visit Sipadan
in Malaysia solely for diving. So the divers arrange their trip for
a specific purpose and it is important that the services provided
to them enhances their experience from the time of arrival to the
time of departure. |content|
|top|
The study also prompted a question related to difficulties in organising
the trip. The responses reveal that the main difficulty faced in organising
the trip to the Maldives is lack of specific information about diving
in the country (36.71 per cent) and difficulty in obtaining general
information about he country (25.95 per cent). 18.99 per cent of those
answered indicated difficulty in arranging the flight. These findings
highlight there is an information gap to be bridged in the market.
Presently, Maldives Tourism Promotion Board produces a brochure with
general information about the country and another brochures specifically
on diving. These brochures need to be evaluated and especially the
one on diving.
Potential visitors to the country could be having difficulty in obtaining
seats due to advance booking of seats by tour operators and travel
agents. It is worth to note that in 1985, 73.9 per cent of tourists
arrived by scheduled flight. However, this percentage has gradually
declined and in 1997 only 61.8 per cent arrived by the scheduled flight.
Dependency on charter flights has increased from 26.1 per cent in
1985 to 38.2 per cent in 1997 (Ministry of Tourism, 1998). This significant
increase in charter arrivals is critical as charter operators could
stop operation as and when they feel to do so. Perhaps, if and when
we are able to operate a successful national carrier, scheduled flights
could be arranged to bridge shortage of supply in the market. The
high percentage of respondents in the study purchasing packaged tours
(69 per cent) illustrated the significant level of control of access
by tour operators and travel agents (Refer
Graph 7).
The resorts in the Maldives are mainly sold by tour operators and
travel agents. Only one or two local resort operators have sale offices
overseas. Hence, majorities of the visitors travel on package tours
(Ministry of Tourism, 1998). The visitors make their payment to the
operator at the originating country. As a result these payments never
enters the local economy and only a "small" amount is paid
to the resort operator (UNDP, 1990). However, it is worth to note
that 86.5 per cent of the respondents said that to diving was not
included in the package. This means that the dive operators in the
resort are selling diving totally independently. It is worth to find
the possible benefits from including diving in these packages.
The Maldives is regarded as an "expensive" destination.
The researcher understands that perception of "expansiveness"
varies from person to person. However, the study reveals the contrary.
Table 09 shows the costs of the packages
which were purchased by the majority of the respondents. 12.14 per
cent of divers indicated that the cost of the package was US$ 2000.00,
11.4 per cent indicated that the cost of their package was US$ 3000.00.
The most expensive package was US$ 10,000.00 while the lowest was
US$ 81.00 Mean price of the package was US$ 2626.09. The average length
of stay being 14 nights meant that cost is less than US$ 200.00 per
night, which is not expensive compared with destination such as Cayman
Islands, or Micronesia where the cost is about US $ 235 a day (Sport
Diver 2000).
With regard to sales and distribution, Maldives is being sold by a
large number of tour operators and travel agents in Western Europe.
This study reveals 56 agents selling packages to the Maldives. 10
per cent of the respondents booked their package through Hotel Plan
and 8 per cent of them purchased through Kuoni.
Graph 8 shows that 63 per cent of
those respondents booked their package only 3 months in advance. 26
per cent booked between 4 and 6 months. Only 11 per cent booked between
7 and 12 months in advance and none of the respondents booked more
than 12 months in advance. This information is important for sales
and promotional activities. |
|
| VISITOR
SATISFACTION |
Questions
in section B aimed to examine the level of divers’ satisfaction
regarding the facilities and services at the resort, dive school and
attributes related to diving. The first question asked about the name
of the resort, where the respondent spend most of the holiday. The
results show that 10 per cent stayed at Alimatha Aquatic Resort in
V. Atoll followed by Reethi Beach in B. Atoll (9 per cent) and then
Fihalholhi Tourist Resort and Rihiveli Beach (7 per cent) (Refer
Table 10). No responses were not received from resorts in Meem
and Seen Atoll.
Table
11 shows the ratings of selected services and attributes at the
resort level such as "Transfer from the airport to the resort",
"First Impression of the Resort", "Friendliness of
the Staff", "Peacefulness and Tranquillity" and "Value
for Money". The respondents were asked to rate them on a 5 point
Likert Scale ranging from 1 = Very Good, 5 = Very Bad. Respondents
were also requested to rate services offered at the dive school (Table
12) and some important attributes related to diving in the Maldives
(Table 13).
In
question 5 respondents were asked to show their agreement or disagreement
with statements regarding diving and the Maldives in general using
a 5 point Likert Scale ranging from 1= "Strongly Agree"
to 5= "Strongly Disagree". Table
14 shows the mean scores for these statements.
|content|
|top|
The respondents strongly agree with the statement that Maldives has
a varied and rich fish life. The question arising now is how rich
and how varied. We can only answer these questions by maintaining
a regularly monitored inventory of the fish stock, specially of reef
fish. There is no doubt that the pressures on marine species are increasing
dramatically; diving, snorkeling, increased boat movements, night
fishing (locals and tourists), ornamental fish export, and from increasing
demand for reef fish. So to ensure sustainable use of this resource,
appropriate management tools have to be implemented with input from
the stakeholders and the general public.
The study reveals that Marine species in the Maldives do not show
fear of divers. Why? Because we have been feeding them for the last
25 years. Feeding disturbs the fragile ecosystem. This has led to
the introduction of regulations disallowing feeding animals in countries
like Australia, USA, Canada and New Zealand.
Respondents agree that diving in the Maldives is expensive. Out of
the 284 divers who answered this question, 101 divers (35.6%) strongly
agree that diving is expensive, 76 divers (26.8%) said they agree
that diving is expensive, 21 divers (7.4%) disagree, and only 5 divers
(1.8%) strongly disagree with the statement. The reason why the divers
feel this way is unknown. Perhaps, the divers have very high expectations
due to the false marketing and advertising messages. It is strongly
recommended to carryout further research to examine the causes.
It is not surprising that the divers agree to ban night fishing. They
are the "eyes of the sea" and they see the extent of damage
caused by anchoring, the nets woven by fishing lines along the reefs,
and chemical poisoning caused by the large number of lead pieces being
stuck on the reefs. Even though it is not the purpose of this survey
to study the environmental impacts of night fishing, the extent of
damage caused by night fishing have been raised at a number of forums.
As tourist resort owner and operators are earning income from their
dive operation, it would be fair to stop the operation of night fishing
as well as big game fishing especially with the increasing number
of locals taking up the activity.
|content|
|top|
Another relevant management issue related to diving is the zoning
of dive sites. Since, the introduction of tourism in the Maldives,
some of the dive sites has been visited on a daily basis. As there
is no consistent monitoring of these sites, it is hard to assess the
impacts of diving on these sites. But some of the repeat divers have
expressed concern regarding dwindling of some species at some of the
dive sites. Hence, it is suggested to introduce zoning with different
levels of access ranging from total closure of severely damaged sites
to open access as divers also agree to closure of dive sites for rejuvenation
(mean = 2.54).
Divers agree that the recent global warming has taken its toll on
the coral reefs in the country. This is shown in their agreement with
the statement majority of the corals in the Maldives are dead due
to coral bleaching (mean = 2.26). 32 per cent of the respondents strongly
agree with the statement, 25.9 per cent agree, 8.6 per cent disagree
and only 4.3 per cent strongly disagree. It is important to disseminate
this information in a positive manner to minimise disappointment and
dissatisfaction among the divers.
Two very important issues, which have been discussed in dive seminars
and a number of meetings attended by the researcher as an official
of Ministry of Tourism, is the depth limitation of 30 metres implemented
by Ministry of Tourism and the prohibition of unsupervised diving
by divers regardless of their qualification and experience in diving.
The divers’ views on these two issues were sought. The divers
do not agree to allow to dive deeper than 30 meters (mean = 3.30)
nor to allow unsupervised diving by professional divers (mean = 3.02).
The evening entertainment is an important aspect of the nightlife
of the tourists staying in isolated resorts in the Maldives. live
music, cultural shows and other activities are organised to entertain
the visitors. The survey revealed that divers disagree with the statement
Maldivian Resorts lack evening entertainment (mean=3.29). Respondents
also disagree (mean=3.43) that All the resorts in the Maldives offer
the same experience. Divers also disagree with the statement, one
visit to the Maldives is enough (mean=4.11).
The segregated tourism in the Maldives "minimises" negative
social impacts of tourism on the host community. However, this form
of tourism has its disadvantages too. It is not only tourists who
are isolated but the locals as well. The study reveals that visitors
desire greater opportunities to experience the local culture (mean
= 2.78) |
|
| OVERALL
SATISFACTION |
Overall
the respondents are pleased with their trip. As the Graph
9 shows 65 per cent of the respondents are very satisfied, 29
per cent are satisfied, and 4 per cent said that they are indecisive.
Only 1 per cent said they are very dissatisfied and another 1 per
cent said that they are dissatisfied.
Question 7 asked the respondents to rate whether their diving experience
met their expectations along a 5 point Likert Scale ranging from 1=
"Very Satisfied to 5= "Very Dissatisfied. (Refer
Graph 10). 48.41 per cent of respondents reported that they are
very satisfied with the diving experience in the Maldives. 38.16 per
cent said that they are satisfied. 7.42 per cent of the respondents
couldn’t make up their mind while 3.3 per cent said that they
are dissatisfied and 2.6 reported that they are very dissatisfied.
In question 8 respondents were asked to express the three highlights
of the diving experience in their own words. Most of the respondents
are impressed with the diversity and richness of marine species in
the Maldives. "Many Sharks", "Mantas", "Many
Fish", "Whale Sharks", "Corals", "Eagle
Ray", "Soft Corals, were mostly mentioned by the respondents.
Question 9 asked respondents to list the three most disappointing
aspects of their visit to the Maldives. Respondents were mainly disappointed
with "Coral Bleaching", "Destruction of Corals",
and the high "Prices".
In question 10 respondents were requested to name the best dive site
in the Maldives. 86 sites were listed by the respondents. Table
15 is a list of the 25 highest ranked dive sites (names are as
mentioned by the divers).
The last question in section B asked the whether the respondent would
recommend Maldives to friends and dive buddies. The responses are
presented in Graph 11. 94 per cent
of the respondents said that they would recommend and only 6 per cent
said they would not. |
|
| DIVERS'
COMMENTS |
The
last question gave the opportunity to respondents for any additional
comments. These remarks can be categorised into "compliments",
"concerns" and "disappointments". 11.58 per
cent of the comments stressed their concern for protection and preservation
and following are some of the comments.
"I come back to Maldives every year, but I am afraid of future
crowding."
"The
Maldives are beginning to feel overdeveloped and less enjoyable
than on previous visits dating from 1988 onwards."
"Trips
to Maldives are getting cheaper and cheaper, what you can also see
by the mentality of the guests; they are not really interesting
in treating the marine life with respect."
"No
more tourist resorts. It’s enough."
"Divers
are getting worried every year, less sharks & whale sharks.
What ever happened to them?"
"I
would prefer strict control of diving behaviour by the staff of
diving school to save the marine life of Maldives."
"Increase
of safety and control of safari boats. No collecting, touching and
hunting with cameras. No gloves should be allowed in protected dive
sites."
"All
the noisy water sports activities (Jet Ski, Water Ski …) and
fish feeding should be banned. The Maldvian government should be
aware of not developing the tourism too much. (most of the resorts
are over-crowded - too many bungalows on a small island)."
"Fish
feeding forbidden. Very noisy water sports (Jet Ski). Save the nature."
"There
should be more protected area & more shipwrecks."
"Protect
the Sharks"
"Preserve
Maldives."
"Be
Careful!"
"No
Big Game Fishing. Protect your ocean!"
|content|
|top|
9.47
per cent complimented the tourism product offered in the country.
Some of the comments include:
"Enjoyed
the relaxed atmosphere of these wonderful island and feel sure we
will visit more times."
"Even
though there is coral bleaching, I am enjoying very much my diving
holiday in the Maldives. For me it’s one of the most beautiful
places."
"The
Maldives are still one of the very few easy accessible Holiday destinations
that is not over commercialised where one can really relax."
"You
have wonderful country! We were enhanced. The Maldives."
"Amazing
Place! Would love to Return."
"I
cannot imagine a nicer place to dive than the Maldives! We will
keep coming back."
"My
best holiday ever! Wish I had come earlier. It is more expensive
than some others, but worth it."
|content|
|top|
9.47
per cent were very unhappy with price of diving and drinks. 5.26 per
cent express that the services offered in the resorts are not satisfactory.
Following are some of the comments expressing the respondents’
unhappiness.
"Too
expensive for all drinks. Should be able to bring in own alcohol for
personal consumption. This one reason I would not visit again."
"The
dives are too expensive! Drinks are too expensive!"
"Alcohol
is too expensive, especially wine of the quality offered"
"Beer
too expensive"
"Too
expensive drinking water, US$ 3.50/1 set + 10% Service Charge."
"Nice
holiday. Drinking water too expensive."
"Prices
on the Tourist Island are very high. I think that’s no ok."
"Drink
and diving are expensive, would have done more of both if cheaper!"
"Price
and entertainment not satisfying."
"Maldives
is expensive for mineral water and soft drinks compared to Seychelles."
"Maldives
are becoming too expensive. Drinks in the Maldives cost more."
"Customer
service is neglected."
"Don’t
let the visitors feel to be welcomed only for their US$. An island
that does not even accept its own currency is weird."
"5
start prices + 10% service charge without 5 star accommodation &
services. Please rather have 3 start prices + 10% service."
|content| |top|
7.37
per cent of the comments praised the high standard of services offered
at the dive schools.
"Every
visit seems to get better & the dive school is run with a more
efficient & professional awareness."
"Excellent
dive school, superb efficiency, very knowledgeable friendly staff,
delightedly communicable. Every visit gets better!"
"Very
friendly and Professional dive school." |
|
| CONCLUSION
AND RECOMMENDATIONS |
The
study clearly revealed that overall divers are very delighted with
their diving experience in the country. However, further research
need to be carried out to understand the causal factors. One area,
which needs urgent attention, is the high level of discontent among
the divers regarding the prices of drinks and diving. Consideration
need to be given to changes in satisfaction levels and tourist arrivals
because these two are complimentary. Low level of satisfaction will
effect the number of tourist arrivals. At present, the studies mainly
focus on tourist arrivals and the number of dollars coming into
the country.
» This study
aimed to fulfill the following objectives.
» To examine
the perception held by divers regarding the quality of their diving
experience in the Maldives.
» To document
sociodemographic variables of the divers visiting the country.
» To study the
level of diver satisfaction.
» To understand
the divers’ view regarding certain issues related to diving,
and Maldivian tourism product in general.
|content| |top|
This
study provided a number of insights to tourism researchers, regulatory
bodies and economic planners as well as environmental planners alike.
Furthermore, from a research perspective, future research should
consider how to broaden and capture all the elements in the diving
market, especially divers staying on safari boats and cruise ships.
Satisfaction
among the divers is very high. The study revealed that the divers
visiting the country are very satisfied. 94 per cent of the divers
said that they would recommend Maldives to their friends and dive
buddies. The main factors contributing to the high level of satisfaction
included diversity of marine species, the high standard of dive
operation, the depth of information provided before and after the
dive and easy access to dive sites. However, there are some concerns
to be addressed too. Divers are disappointed with the geological
features of the underwater, poor visibility, and the extent of damage
to corals.
As
mentioned earlier the results of the study may not be the general
view of the divers. However, the following recommendations are suggested,
as the research results could be "indicative".
Maldives
tourism industry desperately needs to tap into new dive markets
specially the American dive market. Fresh marketing and promotional
campaign need to be begun specially targeted for divers in dive
magazines and books. New brochures focused on diving in the country
need to be produced in different languages to meet the diver’s
requirements based on research findings.
A separate web-site on diving in the Maldives should be established
as 11 per cent of the respondents referred to Internet for information
on diving.
Resort Management and dive school operator should jointly promote
diving at the resort level and should also develop dive packages.
Divers are clearly indicating that they are not receiving the appropriate
return for their money. Further studies should be carried out to
find the reasons.
Divers are very disappointed with the extent of damage to the corals
and it is very clear in some of the comments. So divers should be
told the truth about the extent of damage to corals to minimise
discontentment.
Divers are not satisfied with their experience in wreck diving.
Further studies should be done to understand the reasons and potential
benefits of new wrecks should be considered.
Appropriate
management measures need to be implemented to maintain the environmental
integrity of the dive sites. It is suggested that in view of the
sensitivity of the reef system, appropriate environmental technologies
and management techniques that are proven in other similar environments
to be implemented. The existing "marine protected sites"
scheme is not very effective as some divers were disappointed with
the presence of fishing boats in protected sites. Zoning with controlled
access shall be introduced as a starting point.
Divers are deeply concerned with the expansion of the tourism in
the country and the eventual diminishing of the quality of the environment
and in turn the quality of the experience. In line with the control
of bed capacity at resort level, bed capacity in tourist accommodating
vessels should be controlled.
Standards of service at the resort level need to be improved. Divers
say that the cost of diving and drinks are really expensive. Further
studies should be carried out and the necessary adjustments should
be made. Night fishing and Big Game fishing should be banned and
opportunities shall be provided to experience the traditional pole
line fishing which is unique to the Maldives.
Further research is needed to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness
of transfer services offered and necessary action should be taken
to improve the service. Closure of heavily impacted dives sites
for rejuvenation.
|
|
 MORE
AFFORDABLE HOTELS IN MALDIVES
|
