Ibrahim Asim (IB)

Director of Administration and Human Resources at Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC)

Mr Ibrahim Asim, currently serving as the Director of Administration and Human Resources at MMPRC is a long-standing civil servant of the government of Maldives. With more than 25 years of experience, he is stalwart representative for the Maldives tourism industry and is renowned throughout the industry for his charm, work ethic, public relations skills and creativity.

A crucial link between the private sector and public sector of the Maldives tourism industry, Mr Ibrahim Asim has received praise from countless organisations such as UNWTO, MATI, MATATO and ATA.

How did you get started with your career?

Mr Ibrahim Asim started his career working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1990 at the High Commission of Maldives in Colombo and transferred to the Ministry of Tourism in 1993. His foray into the world of destination marketing started in 1998 with the formation of the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board, and after a name change to MMPRC in 2011, he has risen up through the ranks to become recently the Director of Administration and Human Resources after serving as the Director of Procurement.

What are some of your notable successes?

1. Serving in Maldives High Commission as an attaché and looking after Visa section at that time in the Maldivian High Commission in Colombo for over 2 years

2. Serving as the head foreign liaison officer at the Maldives Government Tourist Information Office (MGTIO) based in Frankfurt, Germany, for over 2 years

3. Important contributions, as Public Relation officer of the Ministry of Tourism to the successful organization of the UNWTO Commission Meeting for South Asia held in Male in the early 90s

4. Significant support to the first ever celebration of (Visit Maldives Year) VMY1997 activities including of the Asia-Pacific Ministers’ Conference on Tourism and Environment held in the Maldives in 1997

5. his role was strongly felt in the organization of the 2013 World Tourism Day worldwide celebrations

6. A leading force for the marketing campaign executed for Visit Maldives Year 2016

What are some of the challenges that you have faced?

1. Budgetary constraints
2. Inter-organisational politics

What is your advice for young adults interested in entering the Tourism Industry?

Be resilient in the face of adversity. Establish a moral code of ethics and work diligently. Do not be afraid to take risks, even if you work for the civil service.

More importantly, being a people person and the strengthening of relationships is the most critical aspect of succeeding in any career path.