Month: September 2021

Visit Maldives has commenced a campaign with Travel Weekly Asia to promote Maldives as a leading safe destination and to showcase products and experiences offered in the Maldives to the travel trade community in South East Asia.

Held from September 2021 until January 2022, the campaign ultimately aims to position Maldives as the most preferred destination of choice for SEA travelers.

Travel Weekly Asia is the largest B2B marketing solutions and information provider serving all segments of the travel industry. The reputable company reaches 25,000 inbound and outbound travel agents.

Under the campaign, Travel Weekly Asia will publish content showcasing the Maldives’ broad range of accommodation offerings highlighting resorts, guesthouses, liveaboards and hotels. Additionally, content on food, culture, and experiences unique to the Maldives will be featured as well.

Furthermore, a video billboard showcasing the jaw-dropping scenery of the Maldives will be featured on the Travel Weekly Asia website for four weeks, and a full-page advertisement will be published in the November issue of Travel Weekly Asia’s e-magazine with an accompanying editorial feature of the Maldives. The content under this campaign is estimated to reach over 159,887 members of the travel trade community.

This 5-month long campaign will help maintain destination presence, inspire travelers, provide updated news on the destination to the travel trade and create awareness about the activities that can be enjoyed by Muslim travellers, family and luxury travellers, which aligns with our strategy for the Southeast Asian market.

Over the years, the Maldives has seen steady growth in terms of tourist arrivals from the Southeast Asian region, making it a promising market with great flight connectivity to the Maldives. In 2019 Maldives welcomed over 87,636 tourists from the Southeast Asian market.

Despite travel restrictions, Visit Maldives is promoting the destination in the Southeast Asian market to ensure that the Maldives remain as a top-of-the-mind destination among travelers and to ensure that the Maldives is the most preferred destination for Southeast Asian travelers once borders reopen for leisure travel and travel restrictions are lifted.

Visit Maldives has conducted several campaigns targeting the Southeast Asian market to ensure Maldives remains the top of the mind destination. Visit Maldives have taken part in Travel Meet Asia - South East Asia, Travel Meet Asia - MICE & Corporate, Antavaya Virtual Travel Fair, IMM Asia Virtual and a Destination Maldives Webinar with the High Commission of Maldives in Singapore & NATAS. In addition, Visit Maldives have conducted promotional activities with Travel+Leisure, ‘Have Halal Will Travel’, and TripZilla to promote Maldives among SEA travelers with a focus on Muslim travelers. An upcoming activity for the market includes the Maldives E-Learning Program for South East Asia with the aim of educating SEA travel agents and operators.

Service On Board:

Offer: 

• Panorama railcars 1st and 2nd class
• Info train system: a personal, digital travel companion with audio guide and interactive route map. The app can be used free of charge with one’s private mobile device (i.e. smartphone, tablet). It is available in 6 languages: GE, EN, FR, IT, JP, CN.
•  Audio information in English, German and Italian between Tirano and St. Moritz. Between St. Moritz and Chur in English and Germany only.
• Bernina Express travel guide at your seat
• Onboard library in 1st class
• Bernina Express souvenir certificate, obtainable from the railway stations of Chur, St. Moritz or Tirano on presentation of ticket
• Bernina Express Souvenir Shop
•  Handicapped-accessible toilets and wheelchair seating
•  Free WiFi available

Eating and drinking
On Bernina Express, the minibar serves regional snacks, refreshing drinks and hot coffee directly at the seat:

• For special occasions and on advanced order, Bernina Express “Catering Packages” offered. The detailed content of these packages is available at berninaexpress.ch.
•  The train has no dining car. During lunchtime in Poschiavo, Le Prese or in Tirano (Italy) many restaurants are on offer.

Macao, 22 September 2021 – As a new event organized by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), the “Light up Macao Drone Gala” will be staged at Nam Van Lake from 1 – 23 October. There will be ten sessions of drone shows at 19:30 and 21:30 per night on 1, 3, 9, 16 and 23 October. With one show staged twice per night, residents and visitors can go to Nam Van Lake area and Anim’Arte NAM VAN to enjoy the shows at their preferred time slots. 300 drones will light up the sky during each show which lasts for 10 to 15 minutes.

Newly introduce drone shows to deepen “tourism +” cross-sector integration

Under the vast impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Macao as well as various countries and regions have adopted travel bans and restrictions. Pyrotechnic teams from worldwide hence were not able to come to Macao for the Fireworks Contest. Cancelled last year, the Macao International Fireworks Display Contest is once again beyond reach this year. MGTO therefore ventures upon a brand-new project — “Light up Macao Drone Gala”.

Like fireworks shows, the “Light up Macao Drone Gala” is a visual art extravaganza that takes places upon the canopy of evening sky. It orchestrates a symphony of technology, integrated 2D and 3D design, light and sound effects, resembling a constellation of stars which adorn the city’s night skyline. The Gala will conjure nighttime entertainment experience fresh for the eyes of residents and visitors, deepening integration across sectors of “tourism +”.

Performance teams of professional companies

With drone technology advancing in recent years, drone shows have become a kind of widely popular performances nowadays. Professional drone teams from the Mainland demonstrate fine standards in their artistry of drone shows. After taking into consideration different drone formation shows in the past, five teams from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Beijing are invited to dazzle Macao’s night sky with ten sessions of drone formation shows at Nam Van Lake in October for the “Light up Macao Drone Gala”. Boasting rich experience in drone show creation, the invited teams were invited to stage drone shows at different major occasions including performances on the Mainland’s App of Yangshipin, Countdown of Asian Games and China Media Group Spring Festival Gala among others. Three of the teams even set the world records for the longest drone flight time and for most drones flying simultaneously.

Five themes manifest festive, tourism and cultural hues

Themed after “The Art of Love for Motherland”, “Build Your Dreamland”, “Charm of Macao”, “Embrace Your Journey in Macao” and “Passion for Macao”, the shows of the “Light up Macao Drone Gala” will merge technology, humanities and arts while manifesting Macao’s festive aroma and mesmerizing cityscape as a safe and quality destination, as well as integration across various sectors of tourism, culture and sports. What’s more, the shows are set to embody the friendship and exchange between Macao and other Mainland cities. The drone shows will be choreographed in sync with music and narration, which will be played from loudspeakers installed at the audience area spanning from Anim’Arte NAM VAN to the vicinity of the great white canopy, bringing the effect and ambience to a new level for spectators to enjoy the shows with both visual and auditory entertainment.

Strict compliance with pandemic prevention
Free choice of time slots for staggered admission
Live broadcast on TV channels

Upon admission to the designated audience area from Anim’Arte NAM VAN to the vicinity of the great white canopy, spectators are required to present their green Health Code and undergo temperature checks, as well as to maintain at least one-meter social distance and wear masks throughout the time on site. Each show will be staged twice per night. Audience can enjoy the shows at their preferred time slots, enabling staggered admission to minimize overcrowding. Audience can also enjoy the shows live broadcast on TDM – Macao TV Channel (21:30 every show night) and TDM Entertainment TV Channel (19:30 and 21:30 every show night) with the synchronized music streaming from TDM - Radio Macao's Chinese Channel (FM100.7) every scheduled evening.

Temporary traffic restrictions

From 18:00 – 19:00 every show night, vehicle access limitation will be imposed along Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van and Avenida Doutor Stanley Ho. From 19:00 – 22:00, road closure (except for authorized vehicles) will be implemented along the vehicle passage adjacent to Nam Van Lake on Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van. From 19:00 – 22:00 every show night, temporary bus stops will be available on Rua do Lago Sai Van and Praça De Jorge Álvares (on the road near New Yaohan Building).

Adverse weather contingency plan

The function/performance and communication channel of drones is subject to wind speed and rainfall rate. The shows can take place under suitable conditions at the wind speed of 31 – 40 km/hour or below without any rainfall. MGTO will consider the weather forecast of the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau and assess the practical situation. If the situation requires postponement or cancellation of the shows, the Office will seek to announce the news to the public two hours before the show if possible.

MGTO will continue to deepen cross-sector integration of “tourism +”, joining hands with different sectors to steer Macao’s tourism industry towards diversification, innovation and sustainable development. The Office will present a great diversity of events and activities in the future to enrich travelers’ experience in Macao.

Visit Maldives has commenced a digital marketing campaign with Tatler Malaysia to maintain destination presence and promote Maldives as a leading safe haven destination targeting high-income travelers in the Malaysian and Southeast Asian market.

Conducted from September until October, the campaign aims to position Maldives as one of the most preferred destinations to travel to, once the borders reopen for leisure travel in Malaysia.

Tatler Malaysia is a leading lifestyle magazine for affluent travellers in Malaysia. With 8 editions across Asia, a monthly readership of roughly 60,000 and a circulation of 10,000 copies, the magazine will reach over 678,858 potential luxury travellers.

The sought-after products (resorts, guesthouses, liveaboards, hotels) and luxurious experiences in Maldives will be promoted on Tatler’s websites with advertorials, a newsletter, display banners, and social media posts during the campaign period.

The content will explore why Maldives is the next go-to destination for travelers seeking an extraordinarily breathtaking experience in a safe haven. Furthemore, the content will place an emphasis on the naturally-socially distanced geography of the Maldives and the stringent safety measures in place to promote Maldives as a safe haven.

Over the years, Maldives has seen a steady growth in terms of tourist arrivals from the Southeast Asian region making it a promising market with great flight connectivity to the Maldives. In 2019 Maldives welcomed over 87,636 tourists from the Southeast Asian market.

Despite travel restrictions, Visit Maldives is promoting the destination in the Southeast Asian market to ensure that Maldives remains as a top of the mind destination among travelers for Southeast Asian travelers once borders reopen for leisure travel and travel restrictions are lifted.

Visit Maldives has conducted several campaigns targeting the Southeast Asian market and has taken part in Travel Meet Asia - South East Asia, Travel Meet Asia - MICE & Corporate, Antavaya Virtual Travel Fair, IMM Asia Virtual and a Destination Maldives Webinar with the High Commission of Maldives in Singapore & NATAS. In addition, Visit Maldives has conducted promotional activities with Travel+Leisure, ‘Have Halal Will Travel’, and Tripzilla to promote Maldives among SEA travelers with a focus on Muslim travelers. An upcoming activity for the market includes the Maldives E-Learning Program For South East Asia with the aim of educating SEA travel agents and operators.