The 50 Year Old Tale of an Italian Agent & Kurumba

Sunday 3rd of January 2021

The story of the birth of Maldives’ tourism is no less than a fiction storybook that one could attentively go on reading. It involves some determined locals, who saw the true potential of what this island nation holds, and an Italian travel agent, who had no clue that he’d fall in love with the Maldives at the very first sight. “There’s only one word to describe this place: Paradise,” said George Corbin.

It all begins in 1972 with a chance meeting in Colombo between the Italian and Ahmed “Kerafa” Naseem, who is considered the father of Maldives tourism. Who knew that Corbin’s search for pristine islands where he could bring Italians to swim and hunt fish would result in the establishment of a successful industry? But of course, none of this would be possible without the efforts and dedication put in by the tourism pioneers.

Corbin brought the Maldives’ first tourists, mainly journalists and photographers, in February 1972. They stayed in humble lodging in three houses in Malé, looked after by M U Maniku and his friends, including Hussain “Champa” Afeef, who is now the owner of several top resorts in the country. These three locals then created the Maldives’ very first resort, Kurumba Maldives, so that Corbin’s tourists had a place to stay.

Kurumba became a lasting success, and now it’s one of the most well-known resorts in the destination. In 2022, the Maldives marks 50 years since it welcomed its first tourists. A tale worth telling.