Year: 2022

The Minister of Tourism, Dr Abdulla Mausoom, also made a statement regarding the achievement of this national milestone.

“Appreciate the engagement and support of Travel and Tourism Industry stakeholders in achieving yet another milestone of Maldives Tourism success story. Congratulations all! This quick rebound of Maldives tourism to pre-pandemic level is a clear indication of the visionary leadership of His Excellency President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, sound tourism policies and the strong partnership between the government and the private sector”, the Minister said.

Last year, the Maldives achieved the 1.3 million tourist arrival mark set by the Government two months ahead of the forecasted date. This year’s 1.6 million tourist arrival figure is a 23.1 per cent increase compared to last year. The event concluded today to celebrate reaching the national target to welcome 1.6 million visitors in 2022 was spearheaded by MMPRC.

As of the fourth quarter of this year, MMPRC had conducted over 171 marketing and promotional activities including 88 marketing campaigns, 41 Fairs, 06 Roadshows, 10 Virtual Events, 17 Familiarisation Trips, and 09 other events worldwide to promote Maldives as a tourist destination. The greatest testament to the success of these activities came this year, as the Maldives secured the title of ‘World’s Leading Destination’ (among several other accolades) at the 2022 World Travel Awards, globally recognised as the hallmark of industry excellence. This is the third consecutive year that the Maldives had successfully earned this prestigious title, a shining testimony of the trust placed in the ‘magic of Maldivian hospitality’ by travellers from all over the globe.

This year, MMPRC also secured the title of 'World's Leading Tourist Board' for the first time in our nation's history. Throughout the year the Maldives has also won several other awards while resorts, properties, tour operators, and travel agencies also won individual awards in the global arena.

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives) has shared the 50-year journey, milestones, and achievements of the Maldivian tourism industry with global media representatives during the ‘Maldives Media Meet’ hosted at WTM London 2022. This event was held at the ExCel London media centre on 8th November 2022.

The Maldives Media Meet was led by the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO & MD) of MMPRC, Mr Thoyyib Mohamed, joined by; Maldives Tourism Industry Pioneer, Mr Hussain Afeef; the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and Ireland, H.E Dr Farah Faizal; and the Minister of Tourism of Maldives, H.E Dr Abdulla Mausoom. Attendants at the event consisted of representatives from the travel trade, media, and tourism-related organisations.

Attendees to the event were gifted a Maldivian Feyli (traditional sarong) upon arrival; a token of the Maldives’ culture and hospitality. An immersive storytelling session signifying the communal spirit and the unyielding hospitality inherent to the Maldives was presented to the attendants, from the “Communal Spirit” folklore story from Visit Maldives’ Tales of Maldives books. This riveting experience denotes that hospitality is one of the main reasons behind the success of the Maldives tourism industry. This was followed by a destination presentation, and then the opening statements by the panellists.

The spotlight of the media meet was on the success of the Maldives Tourism industry over the past 50 years and the evolution of destination marketing efforts by MMPRC, as we mark the Golden Jubilee year since the inception of tourism in the country.

The opening remarks were made by Mr Hussain Afeef, one of the pioneers responsible for the introduction of Maldives tourism. He spoke at length, giving the attendants an industry perspective on the inception of tourism in the Maldives, and the key differences between then and now. “We took the first groups of tourists on excursions on sailboats. We had no telephones or fax machines, so we communicated via morse code. We had two flights a year coming into the country, bringing in a small group of tourists, that was our connection to the outside world. We had to play many roles, we wore many hats, we had to be tour guides, chefs, and everything in between for the tourists. It was a hard journey, but look how far we have come today.”

The Minister of Tourism spoke next, detailing the importance of sustainable tourism to an island nation such as ours. “Maldives believes Tourists of the Future are fast becoming the present and expects destinations and service providers to be meaningfully committed to Sustainable Tourism Practices,” the Minister highlighted in his statement.

Next on the agenda, the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and Ireland, H.E Dr Farah Faizal expounded on the long-standing bilateral ties between the Maldives and the UK, expressing her pride at how far the Maldives has come as a tourism destination. “As a diplomat, I am proud that the Maldives has established a global presence in the tourism sector, becoming a recognised brand worldwide. This has undoubtedly supported the strengthening of international relations on all fronts. Our holistic response to the pandemic has resulted in the tourism industry rebounding back to pre-pandemic levels. I am certain that this year’s WTM will showcase the outstanding degree of service our industry has to offer.”

Last but not least, CEO & MD Mr Thoyyib gave a brief overview on the evolution of destination marketing through the past five decades. “We may have begun marketing the destination by participating in a fair, but then we continued to market the destination, establish a presence, in all platforms, utilising every type of tool that was at our disposal. No matter the target we reach, in the form of infrastructure development in the sector or arrivals, our work is never-ending. And that’s what made us the leading destination in 2020 and 2021, and that is why we are among the nominees for 2022 leading destination as well. Perseverance, dedication, and relentless efforts in making sure we are always visible and on the top.”

The purpose of hosting this event was to connect with leading media representatives from the UK, one of our traditional top markets, as well as representatives from other global markets. MMPRC provided them with the most up-to-date information about the destination, its products, services, and unique experiences. Through this event, we promoted the Maldives as one of the most preferred holiday destinations for travellers from the UK and worldwide. We further promoted our future plans, sustainability initiatives, and marketing efforts for the coming year. MMPRC launched a special large-scale event to be hosted next year, the Visit Maldives Storytellers’ Conference 2023 at the Maldives Media Meet. The conference ended with a Q&A session, and one lucky attendee to the event won a complete set of the 'Tales of Maldives' books.

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives), together with 173 participants from 80 companies, are representing the Maldives at the World Travel Market (WTM) London 2022. The event is hosted at ExCel London from 7th - 9th November 2022. The Maldivian delegation at WTM London this year is led by the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO & MD) of MMPRC, Mr Thoyyib Mohamed.

WTM London is one of the leading global events for the travel industry to meet industry professionals and conduct business deals. Utilising its industry networks and unrivalled global reach, the three-day in-person event creates business opportunities by connecting with industry delegates and international media. Throughout WTM London 2022, MMPRC aims to meet with the travel trade from the United Kingdom and global partners and share the latest updates on the Maldives and our tourism products.

Along with our industry partners, MMPRC is promoting our diverse products and segments and showcasing the unique aspects, activities, and experiences of the Sunny Side of Life at a 420 sqm double-decker Maldives stand. Our participation in WTM London is made even more special this year as it coincides with the Golden Jubilee of Maldives Tourism, marking 50 years since we began welcoming visitors to our shores. To maintain our presence as a preferred destination in the UK market and beyond, we will be hosting a wide range of activities throughout the three days of the fair.

Through the participation of our delegation at WTM London 2022, we aim to connect with travel trade from the UK market and beyond, share our latest travel guidelines, and more. It provides the perfect opportunity for networking, strengthening existing business ties, and maintaining destination presence as one a top-of-the-mind spot for holiday travel. The events further provide the ideal platform for industry partners to; promote their individual products and properties; generate new business leads; and network with the UK and global travel trade to identify sentiments of consumers towards the destination. Attending global media officials are provided the latest updates on the destination through in-person interviews with CEO & MD Thoyyib. Additionally, the Maldives stand includes a designated area where industry partners and MMPRC officials can host presentations- this area is designed to showcase the ‘Redefining Mice’ concept unique to the Maldives. The Minister of Tourism of the Maldives, along with officials from the Ministry, are also part of the Maldives delegation at WTM London 2022.

To strategically promote the Maldives during our time in the UK, MMPRC will additionally host a three-city roadshow series in London, Manchester, & Newcastle on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of November, respectively.

The UK is traditionally one of the top source markets for the Maldives and currently ranks at 3rd with 147,535 arrivals by 2nd November this year. This is 10.9% of the market share from the 1،354،828 total arrivals into the country during this period. MMPRC has been conducting several activities aimed at this market to maintain and broaden destination momentum. This includes participation in fairs and exhibitions in the UK market; outdoor advertising campaigns; and social and digital media marketing campaigns. Similar activities are planned for this market in the upcoming months.

As the company responsible for marketing the Maldives as a destination abroad, MMPRC carried out 260 different marketing activities in 22 global markets last year, including fairs, roadshows, familiarisation trips, marketing campaigns, webinars, and interviews. The greatest testament to the success of these activities came late last year, as the Maldives secured the title of ‘World’s Leading Destination’ (among several other accolades) at the 2021 World Travel Awards, globally recognised as the hallmark of industry excellence. This was the second consecutive year that the Maldives had successfully earned this prestigious title, and we are nominated for the third time this year, a shining testimony of the trust placed in the ‘magic of Maldivian hospitality’ by travellers from all over the globe.

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC / Visit Maldives) is taking part in ITB Asia 2022, alongside 18 industry partners, to market the Maldives as the most preferred destination in the Southeast Asian market. The event is held at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore, from the 19th to the 21st of October 2022. During the fair, MMPRC will maintain destination presence, share the latest information to the Southeast Asian market, and provide a platform for the industry partners to promote their properties in one of Asia’s leading fairs.

ITB Asia is one of the region's leading B2B travel trade shows, designed to be the primary event for the Asia Pacific travel industry. The event features thousands of exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. This includes exhibitors from every sector of the industry from destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts, theme parks and attractions, and a diverse range of tourism companies. Through this event, MMPRC will market the Maldives as a preferred holiday destination along with our products (resorts, hotels, guesthouses, liveaboards), and unique experiences available here. We will also promote the Maldives as a safe destination for travellers.

The beauty of Maldivian seascapes, underwater sceneries and dive adventures were promoted at Asia’s largest dive fair, ADEX 2022, by Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC / Visit Maldives) and our industry partners. The event was held at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore, from 16th to 18th September 2022.

With a history spanning 26 years, ADEX is the biggest and longest-running dive expo in Asia, considered to be one of the industry’s “must-attend” events. ADEX brings together distinguished VIPs and speakers from across the globe – scientists, marine conservationists, underwater photographers, videographers, and many others. It also provides a platform for various exhibitors such as dive operators, equipment manufacturers, and national tourism boards.

Participation in ADEX 2022 helps to boost Maldives’ visibility and maintains our presence as a premier and preferred dive destination in the Southeast Asian market. It helps to promote the dive segment of Maldives to a broader audience, consisting of both dive operators and dive enthusiasts. Participation in the event is aligned with our strategy to diversify the promotional efforts to include all segments. 11 participants from 6 companies participated in the event alongside MMPRC to promote their dive-related products and services.

Through this event, MMPRC promoted the destination, products (resorts, hotels, guesthouses and liveaboards), unique experiences, especially those relating to diving and water sports. We also showcased the underwater beauty of the Maldives to travel trade and travellers from the Southeast Asian market.

From January to July 2022, the Maldives welcomed 18,489 tourists from the SEA market. MMPRC has been holding several activities targeting this market, including joint-marketing campaigns with major stakeholders, outdoor advertising campaigns, participation in fairs, hosting webinars, E-Learning programs and other events. This includes Cabvertising Campaign with MyBump Media, participation in Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE) 2022, MATTA 2022 and Thailand Dive Expo 2022, and hosting a familiarisation trip for Indonesia Media. Ongoing activities by MMPRC for this market include Maldives E-Learning Program for Southeast Asia, campaigns with TripZilla, Apple Vacations and DestinAsian. Similar activities are in the pipeline for this market for the remainder of the year as well.

MMPRC carried out 260 different marketing activities in 22 global markets last year, including fairs, roadshows, familiarisation trips, marketing campaigns, webinars, and interviews. The greatest testament to the success of these activities came late last year, as the Maldives secured the title of ‘World’s Leading Destination’ (among several other accolades) at the 2021 World Travel Awards, globally recognised as the hallmark of industry excellence. This is the second consecutive year that the Maldives had successfully earned this prestigious title, a shining testimony of the trust placed in the ‘magic of Maldivian hospitality’ by travellers from all over the globe.