Maldives resorts forced to shut spas over sex claims

Luxury hotels across the Maldives have been forced to shut their lucrative spa services after an Islamist political party complained they were used as a front for prostitution.

The socially conservative opposition Adhaalath party held protests in the capital Male last week, calling for an end to the spas and their "lustful music", the BBC reports.

Following the uproar, the Tourism Ministry ordered last Thursday the shutdown of spas and health centres at resorts across the nation's 1000-plus islands.

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry said the ban will hurt the country's tourism-dependent economy.

The Maldives earns up to $1.5 billion from tourism annually, around 30 percent of the nation's GDP.

Resort spa treatments do not come cheap either. The Four Seasons Resort at Kuda Huraa charges $590 for a two-and-a-half hour spa treatment, according to the resort's website.

Industry sources reportedly believe the government will reverse the ban because of the potentially damaging economic repercussions.

A senior government official speaking anonymously told AFP the Adhaalath party had been "agitating against spas hoping to embarrass the government".

Last week President Mohamed Nasheed called for a "tolerant" form of Islam amid concerns that fundamentalist Muslim parties were gaining influence.

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