The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation participated in the MATTA Fair 2022 along with seven industry partners to promote the Maldives destination brand in Southeast Asia.
Malaysia’s premier travel exhibition, the MATTA Fair took place from 9 to 10 April in Kuala Lumpur, offering opportunities to connect and network with Southeast Asian travel trade professionals, key industry stakeholders and representatives from top media outlets.
“MMPRC is participating in this fair under a strategy to reorient the perception of Maldives solely as a honeymoon luxury destination by focusing on resorts, guesthouses, liveaboards, and hotels, as well as the unique experiences travelers can have in the Maldives,” the government company explained.
“The promotional activities also extend to families and Muslim travelers aligned with our overall strategy for the SEA market. Ultimately, our goal at the fair is to revive the SEA market and achieve pre-pandemic arrival figures as soon as the market fully opens for international travel. It further falls under a new short term strategy devised to address the evolving geopolitical climate in the world following the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war.”
As arrivals from Russia – which was the top market this year until March – have plummeted 70% since the start of the war, the MMPRC’s strategy is “aimed at mitigating the potential negative impact on arrival numbers from this region by restrategising marketing activities in selected markets to minimise the potential adverse effects on the Maldives tourism industry and the nation’s economy.”
Some 9,539 tourists visited from Southeast Asia last year. In a bid to boost arrivals, the MMPRC has initiated campaigns with TripZilla and Apple vacations in addition to an E-Learning programme for the Southeast Asian travel trade industry. A ‘cabvertising’ campaign was also launched in Malaysia last month.
