The Maldives reconnected with the Middle East’s travel and trade industry through participation in the Arabian Travel Market, the region’s leading travel fair taking place from 9 to 12 May at the Dubai World Trade Center.
The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation is representing the country with a large delegation that includes 62 hospitality companies. The MMPRC also promoted the Maldives destination brand at the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Arabia held on the sidelines of ATM 2022 from 10 to 11 May, an event that specifically targets ultra-wealthy markets from Bahrain to Yemen.
“ATM 2022 and ILTM are major events for the Middle East market, which brings together buyers and sellers of luxury tourism services and products for four days of networking,” explained MMPRC CEO Thoyyib Mohamed. “The Middle East consists of some of our major source markets, who seek the niche and luxury travel experiences that the Maldives has in abundance. It gives us great pleasure to be part of this event and to inform the travel trade and travellers from this market about what makes the Maldives the World’s Leading Destination!”
In 2021, the Maldives welcomed 91,413 holidaymakers from the Middle Eastern market with Saudi Arabia ranked as the seventh-largest source market for tourists. Growth from the relatively new market is on track to continue with more than 19,000 Middle Eastern tourists visiting during the first two months of the year.
Participation in both ATM and ILTM is part of a marketing strategy for the Middle East aimed at “establishing the Maldives as a top-of-the-mind destination for luxury travellers,” according to the MMPRC. Hosted in a specified zone within ATM 2022, ILTM offered valuable sales and marketing opportunities with curated meetings between the most exclusive and sought-after travel designers and the world’s foremost hospitality brands.
The MMPRC also held a press conference on the sidelines of ATM on Tuesday (10 May) to launch its ‘Redefining MICE’ campaign for the Middle East.
Briefing travel journalists on the efforts to diversify Maldives tourism to include meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), Thoyyib stressed the importance of the Middle Eastern market to the ongoing recovery of tourism in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also spoke about “the many exciting plans to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of tourism in the Maldives, and detailed activities that visitors to the Maldives can look forward to this ongoing year.”
