Shangri-La Vilingili set to expand operations in mid-July

Shangri-La Villingili – a resort in Addu which reponed after a five-year closure – is set to expand operations in mid-July, according to Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Ameen.

Ameen, who was summoned to the Parliament on Tuesday morning, was questioned regarding the resort’s operations by Central Hithadhoo MP Ahmed Azaan Marzooq.

Ameen responded that Shangri-La Vilingili is set to expand its operational capacity in mid-July, adding that the ministry has engaged in talks with the resort’s officials regarding the matter.

“God willing, I believe it will begin good sized operations in the middle of next month,” he said.

Ameen was also questioned regarding the Hankede Integrated Tourism Development Project, an initiative aimed at transforming the southernmost tip of the Maldives into a premier tourist destination.

He said that the government plans to launch a new project in Hankede, the details of which will be shared within the next “two to three weeks.”

The first tourist resort to open in Addu, Shangri-La Vilingili had closed indefinitely in 2020 – at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. It reopened again on December 30, 2025, though at a smaller scale.

The prolonged closure of the resort had been a key concern of the people of Addu, the most populous city in the Maldives after the capital, Male’.