At the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which is the leading global event for the Middle East travel industry for the last 25 years, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has commenced a four-day exhibition. The fair was attended by more than 130 representatives from more than 65 companies from the Maldives tourism industry.
Lead by the Managing Director of MMPRC, Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed, a two-day roadshow was also planned to be carried out under the theme of “The Journey to the Sunny Side”, from the 30th April till 2nd of May. It was aimed to connect the bridge between top Middle Eastern operators and Maldivian tourism partners through a networking session for strengthened relations and to create new opportunities.
The Maldives stand displays various aspects of the destination through colorful images that represent the segments most identified with the Middle East market. While most travelers visiting the Maldives wish to engage in rejuvenation, wellness, and exploration, relaxation is one of the biggest motivational factors for the Middle East market, followed by quality of accommodation and good weather.
Additional activities at the Maldives stand include gourmet food tasting of local flavors of Maldivian snacks. Other highlights of activities also include the experience of Maldives through virtual reality, with colorful underwater flora and fauna, swim with whale sharks or the serene sunny beaches of the Maldives.
The Middle East region, especially the United Arab Emirate and Saudi Arabia market holds much potential. In 2018, a total of the 52,114 tourists from the region visited the Maldives. From January to March 2019, 12,810 tourists arrived in the Maldives from Middle East Region which is a growth of 7.7% compared to the same period of time last year. Other than being the most-connected region to the Maldives, there are daily flights that carry directly to the destination. Hence, by participating at ATM it is expected to boost the number of arrivals from the Middle East.
