Visit Maldives | MALDIVES IS READY TO WELCOME OVER 1 MILLION TRAVELERS IN 2021

The isles of Maldives are truly beyond compare. Scattered like pearls across the crystalline waters of the Indian oceans, travelers all across the world dream of Maldives. Last year, Maldives was one of the first destinations to open borders for international travelers. We entered 2021 with hope and optimism, and in a few weeks, we will welcome the millionth traveler to visit the Maldives this year.

A Reflection

The Maldive’s success and achievements is a reflection and testament to the perseverance, ingenuity, creativity, and passion of the tourism industry, the health sector, and beyond. As we approach the milestone of welcoming the one-millionth visitor for the year, we at Maldives Marketing Public Relations and Corporation (MMPRC) take a look back at the effort, dedication, and work we have done, with the sincere aim of making this a reality.

We entered 2021 with a difficult task at hand. At a time when people across the world showed increasing reluctance to travel, and with travel restrictions in place across the globe, it was our mission to promote the Maldives and show the world that we are a safe haven.

The blessings of our unique geography, with our scattered islands and our unique ‘one-island-one-resort’ concept, makes us one of the safest destinations in the world. And ultimately, we were responsible for regaining travelers' trust and confidence by promoting the Maldives as a safe haven during those challenging times. Needless to say, it was not an easy feat.

Ever since the onset of the pandemic, our strategy was to maintain destination presence across the globe so that travelers will keep dreaming of the Maldives. We aimed to position Maldives as the top of the mind destination for travelers as soon as borders opened for leisure travel once again in these markets.

The Work of MMPRC

So far in 2021, we have taken part in 25 leading fairs across the world and conducted five physical roadshows and one virtual roadshow. At each of these events, we provided the opportunity for our industry partners to take part along withVisit Maldives to showcase their sought-after products and unique experiences.

The Maldives pavilions are always beautifully constructed - designed carefully to showcase the aesthetics that makes the Maldives so beautiful. It is not rare for us to hear that the Maldives stands out at fairs and events that we have been part of.

So far this year, we have conducted over 39 campaigns with various stakeholders on a variety of platforms. We have conducted campaigns with leading travel agencies across the globe, world-famous publications, major airlines such as Qatar Airways, and on TV channels such as CNN, among many others. These are simply a few of the many countless stakeholders we have conducted campaigns with.

If you have seen pictures of the turquoise waters of Maldives flood social media, part of it is due to the many familiarization trips we have conducted with leading media, celebrities, and so on. In fact, we have conducted 22 familiarization trips so far this year.

We have also conducted six global campaigns this year. We are collaborating with Expedia, InsideFlyer, Skyscanner, Qatar Airways and CNN on these global campaigns. Through these campaigns, we have reached a staggering 59,738,116,794 potential travelers, with an estimated media value of $119,595,365.

Each marketing activity is possible due to the hard-working marketeers, industry partners, stakeholders and others. It is our mandate to provide equal and fair opportunities for all our industry stakeholders in all of the marketing campaigns we conduct. Whichever fair we take part in, we do so with our industry partners. Whichever roadshow we host, we provide the opportunity for our partners to showcase their products and connect with the global travel trade.

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Visit Maldives | MALDIVES MINISTRY OF TOURISM LAUNCHES ‘I’M VACCINATED’ CAMPAIGN

Visit Maldives together with the Ministry of Tourism launches "I'm Vaccinated" campaign in order to share a positive message regarding the vaccination of staff working in the tourism sector as well as promoting the initiatives undertaken to ensure the Maldives remains one of the safest destinations in the world for travelers.

Under this campaign, the ultimate target is to make the Maldives the first fully vaccinated tourism sector in the world. Along with the unique geographical formation of the islands which offer natural physical distancing, and the stringent health and safety measures in place, a fully vaccinated tourism sector will become an added advantage in encouraging tourists to visit the destination.

The campaign was launched during a special press event held on 28th April 2021 organized by Visit Maldives and the Ministry of Tourism. The event was joined by the Minister of Tourism, Minister of State of the Ministry of Health, Secretary-General of Guesthouse Association of Maldives and Vice Chairman of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry.

The event commenced with opening remarks by the Minister of Tourism Honorable Dr. Abdulla Mausoom. The Minister remarked upon the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry during 2020 and emphasized the immense sacrifice, effort and hardwork invested by the health industry, tourism industry, and all members of the Maldivian society. In addition, the Minister stated that being able to provide vaccination to members in the tourism industry was a huge accomplishment. The Minister officially initiated the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign followed by a short video showcasing the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ logo.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of State of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Shah Abdulla Mahir stated that over 65% of the eligible Maldivian population have received the vaccine and over 90% of the eligible tourism industry is vaccinated. The Minister of State of the Ministry of Health placed importance on practicing health and safety measures regardless of the vaccination and placed emphasis on the importance of achieving herd immunity. He thanked MMPRC and the Ministry of Tourism for launching the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign as the campaign will promote the vaccination drive and motivate facilities in the tourism industry to vaccinate their staff.

Afterwards, MMPRC presented the esteemed delegation with a special ‘I’m Vaccinated’ badge. The badge will be presented to members of the tourism industry who have received the prescribed dose(s) of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Following the launch of the program, The Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed stated that the purpose of the ‘I’m Vaccination’ campaign is to promote vaccination for all members in the tourism industry and for the Maldives to have the first fully-vaccinated tourism industry in the world. The Managing Director of MMPRC also unveiled a microsite that will be launched under the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ Campaign and social media activities that will be initiated alongside. .

The microsite will display a counter displaying the number of tourist industry staff vaccination as well as information regarding registration for vaccination of employees and the latest HPA guidelines. Furthermore, the social media campaign component of the campaign will present images and videos of workers in the tourism industry with a pinned vaccination badge that will be presented to them by Visit Maldives once they receive the prescribed dose(s) of the COVID-19 vaccination. The social media campaign will further help advertise the Maldives as a ‘safe haven’ destination across the globe.

Speaking at the conference, Secretary-General of Guesthouse Association of Maldives, Saudhulla Ahmed Hassan Didi noted on the impact of COVID-19 on the guesthouse industry and island communities while Vice Chairman of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry, Mr. Salah Shihab recognized the sacrifice undertaken by members of the tourism industry as they had to stay apart from families during the pandemic, stating that the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign gives hope to workers across the industry.

The campaign will uplift the destination's beautiful name in the global market and reassure travelers that the Maldives will further remain as one of the safest destinations to travel to during this unprecedented time. In addition, the campaign will also ensure travelers from all over the world of the immense effort and investment into ensuring the safety of both the local population and travelers.

On 1st February 2021, Maldives initiated the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the government aims to provide free COVID-19 vaccine to all citizens and residents of Maldives in the upcoming months. The initiation of the vaccination drive is bound to offer hope to the local population, as well as ensure the safety of tourists. This conveys the message that the Maldives is a low-risk destination for travelers and will hopefully generate a surge in tourist arrival.

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Visit Maldives | VIRTUAL CONSUMER TRAVEL FAIR, MALDIVES VIRTUAL TOUR EXPO TO BE HELD IN JULY 2021

Maldives Virtual Tour Expo, a virtual consumer travel fair, will be held in July 2021.

Maldives Virtual Tour Expo is a virtual consumer travel fair scheduled to be held in July 2021, which will be carried out at maldivesvirtualtour.com enabling visitors to experience the Maldives virtually & enroll on multiple lucky draws to win exciting Maldives holidays. The Expo will take place in July for a duration of 2 weeks. MVT Expo is organized by Maldives Virtual Tour.

Experience Maldives virtually and book your holidays with special offers and win deals of a lifetime. Get the chance to enroll in multiple lucky draws to win exciting Maldives holidays!

Officially launched on 31st December 2020, Maldives Virtual Tour is the breathtaking 360° virtual tour of the Maldives with over 2000 virtual tours of more than 150 islands. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2021. This is carried out by Orca Media Group in collaboration with Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation as an official partner along with Ooredoo Maldives as main partner and Trans Maldivian Airways as Seaplane Partner.

Maldives’ first 360° destination video was also launched by Maldives Virtual Tour, in association with MMPRC. This is a series of 360° destination videos by Maldives Virtual Tour. Maldives Virtual Tour is a product of Orca Media Group, one of the leading media and marketing firms in the Maldives.

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VISIT MALDIVES | COMMENCES YEAR-LONG CAMPAIGN WITH CONNOISSEUR CIRCLE TARGETING GERMAN SPEAKING MARKETS

Visit Maldives commences a year-long campaign with Connoisseur Circle - an exclusive magazine for luxury hotels and destinations worldwide targeting an elite audience of travel enthusiasts in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

The campaign will use a multitude of platforms in both the online and offline channels of the publication in order to promote the Maldives as a safe haven and uplift the destination presence for the luxury market. The components of the campaign are distributed throughout the year which includes, advertorials in the print magazine, editorial stories in e-magazines, posts and promotional clips on social media, website banner display and features in newsletters.

Maldives is also nominated as the Best Luxury Destination for the Year by the Hospitality Awards organised by Connoisseur Circle. Over 30,000 consumers are reached through the online channels with 43,500 users on their social media platforms. Additionally, 47,000 copies in Germany, 9,000 copies in Switzerland and 25,000 copies in Austria are circulated reaching many high-income earners.

7,386 visitors from Germany, 5,189 from Switzerland and 2,235 from Austria arrived in Maldives till February 2021. Though these figures are low compared to figures of 2020, due to ongoing travel restrictions, their market contributions are significant, with Germany holding a market ranking of 7 whereas Switzerland and Austria rank at 10 and 13 respectively.

The campaign with Connoisseur Circle is part of Visit Maldives’ strategy in promoting the Maldives to the German speaking markets through ambient advertising along with usage of German language on social media platforms. Similarly, several campaigns are underway to further promote the destination in these markets.

These include several B2B and B2C activities like Joint promotions with Airlines and Tour Operators, destination training and several more collaborations with media and key stakeholders in the market. Visit Maldives also participated in ITB Berlin held this March, one of the leading travel and trade shows in the world. Throughout the 4-day virtual fair, a variety of networking events were carried out and provided a platform to strengthen destination presence and promote the Maldives as a safe haven.

Despite the global pandemic, Maldives has welcomed a total of 555,494 travelers in 2020 and over 190,000 travelers till February 2021. Amongst the many activities planned for the remainder of the year includes social media campaigns, joint marketing campaigns with global stakeholders, familiarization trips, and visibility campaigns. Several marketing activities and strategies have also been shifted to digital platforms in order to promote the destination whilst adapting to the evolving situation.

The administration of the covid-19 vaccine was initiated on 1st February 2021 with the government of the Maldives aiming to provide free covid-19 vaccines to all citizens and residents of the country in the upcoming months. As of 15th April 2021, 277،522 people in the Maldives have received the first dose of the vaccine with 34,531 receiving the second dose. 90% of the workers in the tourism industry of the Maldives have also been administered the first dose of the vaccine. The initiation of the vaccination drive is bound to offer hope to the local population, as well as ensure the safety of tourists.

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Visit Maldives | SEASIDE FINOLHU OFFERS THE PERFCT EID ESCAPE IN THE MALDIVES

Celebrate the upcoming Eid al-Fitr and mark the end of the month of Ramadan by unwinding at a tropical beach island playground. With some of the most stylish villas and sumptuous dining in the Maldives, Seaside Finolhu delivers an exquisite balance of natural wonder and luxurious living to offer the perfect Eid escape.

Located within the UNESCO-protected Baa Atoll and the first resort in the Maldives to be included in the Design Hotels’ prestigious international portfolio, Seaside Finolhu strikes a magical balance between natural beauty and refined luxury. Up to two kilometres of white sand beaches lined by swaying palms overlooking a turquoise blue lagoon complement Seaside Finolhu’s new “kaleidoscope” design, creating a visually striking aesthetic that is enhanced by the modern conveniences and luxuries of the resort’s world-class villas, restaurants and facilities.

All of Seaside Finolhu’s villas have recently undergone a comprehensive upgrade, and fitted with the must-have devices of modern luxury living to give them an even more stylish edge. Combining seclusion, privacy and generous amount of space, the resort’s private pool villas and 2-bedroom beach villas offer couples and families the perfect haven to get together and recharge during Eid al-Fitr.

Couples looking for a romantic holiday can enjoy total privacy at the resort’s pool villas. With its 205m² of living space, Finolhu’s Private Pool Villas are nestled within their own secluded tropical garden, and feature a swimming pool and indoor and outdoor showers. A path through the garden provides direct access to a white sand beach and dedicated sun loungers, while inside the spacious villa, top-of-the-range entertainment systems and a king-size bed add a higher level of luxury and comfort.

About Seaside Finolhu

Finolhu was opened in June 2016 and consists of four islands with long beaches. It has 125 beachfront and overwater villas (more than half with private pool) and four restaurants. Whilst popular with honeymooners, the extensive resort is also very family-friendly, with a kids’ club, a wide choice of activities and world-famous entertainment.

Owned and managed by Seaside Collection, a Europe-based hotel group with an exclusive portfolio of high-end resorts and city hotels, Seaside Finolhu Maldives is a luxury island resort. “Finolhu”, which is a direct translation of “sandbank” in Dhivehi is located in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives www.finolhu.com

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Visit Maldives | BAA ATOLL BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Baa Atoll located in the central region of the atoll chain that form the Maldives is considered globally significant in terms of its biodiversity. The atoll covers an area of over 139,000 hectares...

Baa Atoll located in the central region of the atoll chain that forms the Maldives is considered globally significant in terms of its biodiversity. The atoll covers an area of over 139,000 hectares and is situated just north of the Kaashidhoo channel that geographically separates the northern chain of atolls from the central chain. Baa atoll consists of several habitats that support the rich biodiversity of the atoll and includes coral reefs, islands, seagrass beds, and mangroves.

Coral reefs are the most important habitat type in terms of area as well as biodiversity and is home to a high diversity of reef species, which includes 1,200 reef-associated marine species, 250 species of stony and soft corals, and populations of marine turtles, manta rays, whale sharks and seabirds. These also include threatened and endangered species such as the green turtle, hawksbill turtle, Napoleon wrasses, and tawny nurse shark.

The reserve consists of nine core areas in which extraction of any kind is prohibited. The areas are highly protected and are conferred the highest levels of conservation. They have clearly defined management areas that have a high ecological significance in terms of marine and terrestrial biodiversity. The limited activities permitted within the boundaries of these areas are monitored through stringent management systems, codes of conduct, and due diligence from all users. Anchoring of any boat, unless in emergencies is prohibited in these areas.

Around the Core, Areas are buffer zones that are also managed and monitored. Here non-damaging, non-extractive uses are allowed. Core areas and the buffer zones are enveloped by transitional areas, which cover the whole of Baa Atoll. Sustainable activities are permitted in transitional areas.

Hanifaru Bay is the highlight when it comes to Baa Atoll’s biodiversity, attracting large numbers of visitors every year. This tiny Bay located on the eastern flank of the atoll has seen some of the largest gatherings of manta rays anywhere in the world. Up to a hundred of these gentle giants are seen in a single congregation, gliding through the waters to feed as the tide pushes abundant plankton into the bay.

Getting There

There are several daily flights from Velana International Airport to Dharavandhoo Airport offering convenient connections to international flights. The flight time to Dharvandhoo is approximately twenty minutes.

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Visit Maldives | Collaborates with Photographer representing national geographic Russia

In the efforts to maintain destination presence and promote the Maldives in the Russian market, Visit Maldives invited a renowned photographer representing National Geographic Russia to showcase the destination through a physical photo exhibition to be held in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia during the summer.

The exhibition will promote the Maldives as a safe haven for travelers and highlight the unique geographical formation of Maldives along with a variety of activities and cultural elements through the lens of photographer Ivan Dementievsky.. The photographer will travel within the Maldives from 18th March until 29th March 2021.

Diamonds Athuruga Beach and Water Villas, W Maldives, Plumeria Maldives, White Lagoon Fehendhoo and the liveaboard Scuba Spa will host the photographer during their 2 week stay in the Maldives. The photographer will have the opportunity to experience and capture several experiences offered in the Maldives such as sunset cruises in a traditional dhoani, swimming with dolphins, shipwreck visits, water sports activities, and etc. In addition, the photographer will experience exciting and unique cultural activities specific to Maldives. This includes cooking traditional Maldivian meals, big game fishing, local island experiences, and traditional activities such as Boduberu and Dhandi Jehun are some of the many activities that photographers will experience during their stay in Maldives.

During the trip, the photographer will capture 50 photos in total of which 32 photos will be used for the exhibition in Moscow, while 16 out of the 32 photos will be used in the exhibition in St. Petersburg. The remaining photos will be used to promote the exhibition prior to the beginning of the exhibition. National Geographic will also feature 26 images on the website as a virtual exhibition.

Visit Maldives aims to promote and highlight the culture, traditions, heritage and the local island experience of Maldives. Several initiatives are underway to market the destination in Russia. In this regard, high impact campaigns on both offline and online platforms are in the pipeline for the market with several more collaborations with media and key stakeholders in the market.

Furthermore, high impact campaigns such as media familiarization trips have been conducted earlier this year, with more planned for the upcoming months. In addition, Visit Maldives is conducting a global campaign targeting Russia in collaboration with Expedia. The collaboration with Expedia is one of the many impactful global campaigns planned for the year. Visit Maldives is currently carrying an educational and training programme targeted to the Russian travel trade with Association of Tour Operators in Russia (ATOR).

Russia is the second largest source market to the Maldives as of now welcoming over 84,289 arrivals since reopening. It is estimated that the marketing campaigns and activities undertaken in Russia will increase the total amount of Russian travelers arriving in the Maldives in the upcoming months.

Maldives reopened its borders for tourists of all nationalities on 15th July 2020, with rigorous procedures in place to ensure the safety of tourists and tourism workers. Tourists are required to fill an online health declaration form within 24 hours prior to their departure, as well as have a negative PCR test result, conducted 96 hours prior to their departure.

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Visit Maldives | TOURIST ARRIVAL NUMBERS EXCEED 200,000 SO FAR IN 2021

According to data published by the Ministry of Tourism, The Maldives has welcomed a total of 200,871 tourists so far this year, as of 4th March 2021.

The top source market remains as India, with an arrival figure of 46,541. India is followed closely by Russia with 42,417 tourist arrivals. The third and fourth top source market is Ukraine and Kazakhstan, with a recorded 13,350 arrivals and 8,537 arrivals respectively.

According to the Ministry, The Maldives must maintain an average of 4000 daily arrivals throughout the year or experience a significant influx of tourists during holiday periods in order to reach the set target of 1.5 million tourists in 2021.

At present, 148 resorts and 364 guesthouses are known to be fully operational in Maldives.

Maldives reopened borders to all nationalities from 15th July 2020. All visitors are granted a 30-day free on-arrival visa with a confirmed booking for a stay at any registered tourist facility in the country.

While there is no mandatory quarantine or testing on arrival, tourists traveling to Maldives are required to complete an online health declaration form and provide a negative PCR test result taken at least 96 hours prior to their departure. The negative PCR test result must be attached while completing Traveler Health Declaration form, which has to be submitted online via IMUGA (www.imuga.immigration.gov.mv), by all arriving passengers before arrival (but not exceeding 24 hours before arrival time).

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Visit Maldives | 8,800 WORKERS IN THE MALDIVES TOURISM INDUSTRY VACCINATED

According to information published by the Ministry of Tourism, over 8,800 of frontline workers in the tourism industry have been vaccinated. The Ministry states that the number of vaccinated frontline workers represents over 30% of all workers within the tourism industry.

The Tourism Ministry and HPA started vaccination drives in resorts on 14th February 2021. The first vaccination center in a resort opened in Bandos Island Resort & Spa. The government prioritized 10,000 doses from the first shipment of vaccination doses for the frontline workers in the tourism industry. The priority is set not only for resort workers, but also includes workers in guesthouses, liveaboards, and airport representatives.

Over 137,120 people have received the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India under the name ‘COVISHIELD’.

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