Less than a week after banning spa treatments, the government of the Maldives has reversed its decision.
CNN is reporting that after calls by opposition groups for a stricter imposition of Islamic values—including a clampdown on massage parlors in parts of the country—the Tourism Ministry banned the use of spas across the nation, whose population consists of about 350,000 Muslims.
Resort and hotel owners, many of whom charge thousands of dollars for a night's accommodation in the Maldives, had reacted to the Tourism Ministry's order with a combination of legal action and civil disobedience, leading to an overturn of the ban. The country reportedly saw more than 800,000 visitors last year.
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