Visit Maldives Launches its First Offline Events

Following the closing of the borders and travel restrictions, Visit Maldives retained a destination presence in the Indian market. The first offline activities in India started on March 22nd with a high-level press conference accompanied by a Roadshow in Delhi. The Maldives will also be on display at the South Asia Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE).

Hon. Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Tourism; Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed, Managing Director of Visit Maldives; and Dr. Hussain Niyaz, Maldives High Commissioner to India addressed the press conference. Tourism, foreign policy, and marketing were all discussed as key areas of concern. This included the success story of Maldives tourism during the pandemic, as well as India being the Maldives' highest source market. The marketing strategy for India and the travel bubble between India and the Maldives were also discussed.

The Maldives will participate in the South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) in Delhi, India, from March 24th to March 26th, 2021. SATTE is one of the most important B2B travel trade shows in India. The event will aid in the development and strengthening of the Maldives' position in the Indian market. The fair is the first time since the pandemic that the tourism world would physically assemble, making it a historic day. Along with Visit Maldives, there will be 22 participants from 13 different firms. SATTE participants will have the ability to demonstrate their goods, network with numerous key industry players, and create new leads over the course of three days.

The three-day festival is expected to draw a significant number of Indian tourists. The Maldives' top source market for tourism is reportedly India. WeddingSutra, Thomas Cook, and MakeMyTrip are now partnering with Visit Maldives. The Maldives will have a 72 square meter stand that will reflect the elegance and natural ecosystem of the Maldivian islands. Due to the strict policies in place and the naturally socially isolated islands, numerous activities are currently underway and intended for the Indian market to promote the Maldives as a safe haven. As of the 17th of March 2021, the Maldives had admitted a total of 243,979 visitors, with 57,965 arriving from India.