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Maldives Welcomes the 1 Millionth Tourist of 2023!

Maldives Welcomes the 1 Millionth Tourist of 2023!

The Maldives today welcomed the 1 millionth tourist for the year 2023. The 1 millionth tourist arrival figure was achieved on August 12th last year, making this year's achievement a full month ahead, and on course for H.E President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s national arrival target of 1.8 million tourists by the end of 2023.

The 1 millionth tourist for this year was Mr Anton Pavlov, a British national who arrived on British Airways flight BA061 this morning with his family. The family was escorted to the event area with a cultural performance and were welcomed by Senior Officials from the Ministry of Tourism (MOT), Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC), Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), and Maldives Immigration upon arrival. Mr Anton received special gift packs from MOT, MMPRC, MACL, Maldives Immigration, and the tourism industry to commemorate the momentous occasion. MMPRC's gift pack was a collection of locally-sourced products essential for a holiday in the Maldives.

Our marketing efforts in the first 2 quarters of this year have played a pivotal role to drive exposure and maintain destination presence across various key markets with a 360-degree marketing approach. A key event driving arrival numbers this year was the resumption of direct flights between the Maldives and China, one of our top-performing markets since January 2023. After a 3-year hiatus, China resumed direct flights to Maldives on 18th January 2023 which positively impacted the arrival numbers. The Chinese market consistently topped the arrival charts prior to the Covid-19 pandemic period, and is already firmly in the top 4th source market spot for the Maldives in 2023, with a staggering 1,659.5% growth in comparison to the same period last year.

Among the other groundbreaking marketing events conducted by MMPRC this year, the Visit Maldives Storytellers’ Conference 2023 (from 30th May 2023 to 02nd June 2023) is anticipated to increase the arrivals further in the coming months. This outstanding event, executed during the low season to help boost arrivals, resulted in simultaneous coverage of several different regions of the Maldives which made a prominent presence globally, receiving over 89,517,434 reach on the Visit Maldives social media platforms alone. With the extensive coverage received for different regions of the Maldives during the sideline activities of this event, we forecast arrivals to increase further and for bookings to be more dispersed throughout the Maldives.

MMPRC has strategized our marketing activities to attract more visitors to the destination in order to reach the President’s annual arrivals target of 1.8 million tourists this year.  We are resolute in promoting Maldives through various destination marketing activities such as collaborating with global stakeholders such as airlines, tour operators and travel agents to boost arrival figures. Accordingly, most of our top source markets have already surpassed pre-pandemic arrivals. The top 5 markets for Maldives thus far this year are Russia, India, the UK, China and Germany. India had consistently remained at the top arrivals spot, especially post-covid. India, having exceeded pre-pandemic arrival numbers in 2021, is currently ranked at the #2 arrivals spot, with 117,131 visitors from India to the Maldives, with Russia on number 1, with 117,198 visitors by 15th July 2023. Additionally, 84,763 travellers from the UK, 77,202, travellers from China and 69,074 travellers from Germany have visited the Maldives this year. The UK and German markets had both exceeded pre-pandemic arrival figures by 2022. This year marks the first time that the China market, one of our traditionally strongest markets, has reached the top 5 since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2022, MMPRC conducted 178 marketing activities. This included over 90 marketing campaigns, attending 44 fairs, hosting 06 roadshows, 10 virtual events, 18 familiarisation trips, and 10 other events executed worldwide. We have conducted diverse activities for different key markets based on their preferred segments and the latest travel trends, with 113 different marketing activities this year so far, with a combined reach of 4,168,605,812 in the first 6 months of 2023.

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For further information, please contact:

Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation – PR Representative in Southeast Asia
Pacific World Travel Sdn Bhd
Suite 1001, Level 10, Wisma Lim Foo Yong,
86 Jalan Raja Chulan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2141 3899 | Email: visitmaldives@pacificworld.travel

MMPRC Showcases Unique Sights from the Maldives in Bangkok Post

MMPRC Showcases Unique Sights from the Maldives in Bangkok Post

Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/ Visit Maldives) has launched a campaign with the Bangkok Post in Thailand to showcase the unique sights and experiences available from the ‘the Sunny Side of Life’. The campaign will take place between July and August 2023. The campaign will strengthen the Maldives’ brand presence and visibility in the Thai market, showcase the uniqueness of the destination, and increase the arrival figure from the Southeast Asian market.

Bangkok Post is the leading English-medium mass publication in Thailand. The magazine attracts a monthly audience of over 2 million readers. This campaign is expected to reach a wide audience in Thailand. This campaign with the Bangkok Post is aligned with our strategy to strengthen the Maldives brand in the Thai market.

Thailand is an important source market in the SEA region. The SEA market is a market full of potential for the Maldives' tourism industry. So far in 2023, MMPRC has also promoted the Maldives at major travel fairs such as MATTA 2023 in Malaysia and ADEX Ocean Mission 2023 in Singapore. Further activities planned for this market include a Media Campaign, conducting a Maldives Roadshow in South East Asia, and taking part in NATAS Holidays 2023 and ITB Asia 2023.

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For further information, please contact

 

Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation – PR Representative in Southeast Asia
Pacific World Travel Sdn Bhd
Suite 1001, Level 10, Wisma Lim Foo Yong,
86 Jalan Raja Chulan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2141 3899 | Email: visitmaldives@pacificworld.travel

MMPRC Reveals International Speaker Line-Up and Sideline Regions for Visit Maldives Storytellers’ Conference 2023

MMPRC Reveals International Speaker Line-Up and Sideline Regions for Visit Maldives Storytellers’ Conference 2023

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/ Visit Maldives) have announced the international speakers and sideline regions for the highly anticipated Visit Maldives Storytellers' Conference 2023. This conference will bring together 70+ travel writers, journalists, bloggers, influencers, and media experts from around the world to showcase the beauty and hospitality of the Maldives. The event will feature unique sideline experiences in eight different regions of the Maldives, each offering its own distinctive features and activities.

The conference boasts an extraordinary line-up of influential speakers who will inspire and engage the audience with their wealth of experience and thought-provoking ideas. Doug Lansky, a renowned travel writer and tourism thought leader, will deliver a speech and contribute to the Sustainability Talks. He will also act as the moderator for the conference. Jessica Nabongo, writer, photographer, travel expert, entrepreneur, and public speaker will share her experiences and stories. She will also appear in the Sustainability Talks. Vikas Swarup, a distinguished novelist and former diplomat, will speak based on his novel "Q and A”, the basis for multiple Oscar-winning film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. Eleni Giokos, a versatile CNN correspondent, will share her inspiring travel stories and moderate the Sustainability Talks panel.

The sideline regions offer participants the opportunity to explore remarkable destinations for three days and two nights. The hidden gems that are being explored during these sideline trips are Raa Atoll, Laamu Atoll, Ari Atoll, Vaavu Atoll, Haa Alifu and Haa Dhaalu Atolls, Kaafu Atoll, Addu Atoll, and Fuvahmulah. As part of this exclusive conference, participants will have the opportunity to explore the natural wonders, engage in exciting activities, and create unforgettable stories to share with the world.

The Visit Maldives Storytellers' Conference 2023 is set to be an exceptional event. The conference highlights the transformative power of storytelling in the tourism industry while promoting responsible travel and sustainability. Visit Maldives continues to prioritise the preservation of the Maldives' cultural and natural heritage. One of the aims of the conference is to position the country beyond the traditional sun, sand, and sea while increasing awareness of our MICE and sustainable tourism segments among influencers, bloggers, and travel writers.
Supporting companies for the conference include Crossroads Maldives as the host property, Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) as the seaplane partner, Maldivian as the domestic airline partner, Jalboot Maldives as the sea transport travel partner, Dhivehi Raajjeyge Gulhun Public Limited (Dhiraagu) as the technology and communication partner, Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO) as the sustainable fisheries partner, and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) as the supporting partner.

For further information, please contact
Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation – PR Representative in Southeast Asia
Pacific World Travel Sdn Bhd
Suite 1001, Level 10, Wisma Lim Foo Yong,
86 Jalan Raja Chulan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2141 3899 | Email: visitmaldives@pacificworld.travel
 

Visit Maldives Signs Partnership with CNN to Promote Tourism to a Global Audience

Visit Maldives Signs Partnership with CNN to Promote Tourism to a Global Audience

Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives) has signed an advertising and branded-content partnership agreement with CNN International Commercial to promote sustainable initiatives in the Maldives. The signing ceremony was held at MMPRC headquarters on 28th February 2023. The agreement was signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of MMPRC, Thoyyib Mohamed, and Mr Abhijeet Dhar (Director -Sales CNN International Commercial). The global campaign will be held from May-June 2023.

This campaign will present a unique side to the Maldives by highlighting the local and grassroots projects that preserve the natural beauty and environmental biodiversity of the Maldivian isles. Through this, CNN will highlight how the Maldives caters to a new wave of environmentally-conscious travellers. From recycled resort interiors to volunteer-based conservation programmes and community appreciation, the campaign will highlight Maldivians leading the path of sustainable tourism and cultural preservation in the Maldives.

Speaking about the partnership, CEO and MD Thoyyib expressed that the Maldives is leading the way in sustainable tourism, and it is time that we promote and highlight the locals at the forefront of these initiatives to a large global audience.

Mr Abhijeet Dhar also spoke regarding the partnership, stating that the Maldives continues to impress the world with its innovative and indigenous techniques employed to preserve the natural beauty of the islands. He further noted that CNN’s compelling storytelling and engaging branded content can play an important role in highlighting the Maldives as a sustainable destination among environmentally conscious travellers.

Throughout this campaign, CNN will circulate dedicated content on digital and broadcast mediums under the theme “The Journey Matters in 2023”. This will include articles, videos, commercials and social media posts which will have a mass global reach.

This is the fourth time MMPRC is teaming up with CNN to promote the Maldives. Three incredibly successful campaigns were conducted during the pandemic to maintain destination presence in the global market. CNN’s immersive content with strong storytelling elements continues to provide a holistic overview of the Maldives to international travellers

Visit Maldives Launches Media Campaign with Robb Report Targeting Southeast Asia Market

Visit Maldives Launches Media Campaign with Robb Report Targeting Southeast Asia Market

Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives) has launched a media campaign with Robb Report, a leading luxury lifestyle publication in Southeast Asia (SEA) with an audience of over 220 million readers. From May to July 2023, the campaign will promote the Maldives and strengthen brand visibility in Malaysia and Singapore - specifically targeting high net-worth individuals in the affluent markets.

Under this campaign, Robb Report will produce 2 print advertorials, 6 single-page print advertisements, 2 digital advertorials, 2 Robb Report Weekly EDM features, and 2 web display banners. They will also create and share social media posts highlighting the unique products and experiences offered at the Sunny Side of Life. The total reach of these advertorials, advertisements, and social media posts is expected to exceed 180,000.

Southeast Asia, with its proximity to us, is a lucrative market for the Maldives tourism industry with high potential. As such, MMPRC is conducting a unique variety of marketing activities for the region. We are currently conducting a campaign with Travel + Leisure for the SEA market. Other activities include hosting a roadshow and taking part in NATAS Holidays and ITB Asia in Singapore.