The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), along with 21 industry partners represented the Maldives at the World Travel Market (WTM) Africa, held from 3 to 5 April in Cape Town, South Africa.
With over 6,000 travel industry professionals, WTM Africa is the only business to business (B2B) exhibition for inbound and outbound African travel and tourism markets.
WTM Africa was launched in 2014 under the Africa Travel Week umbrella to bring the benefits and opportunities of the global industry expertise to travel professionals in the region. Corporate travel decision makers, potential investors, tour operators and travel agents with VIP clients and other travel trade industry professionals took part in the fair.
According to the MMPRC, its participation will help strengthen the Maldives’ brand presence in the South African market, connect with the travel trade and offer information on the latest updates from the Maldives tourism industry.
Maldives exhibited at a 60 sqm stand designed to showcase the beautiful scenery of the ‘Sunny Side of Life’. The stand was curated to provide the ideal area to experience the beauty of the Maldives while having productive meetings, and participating in events such as trade surveys, social media amplification promotions.
The MMPRC, along with industry partners showcased the products, experiences, and segments of Maldivian tourism.
“Our industry partners will also have the opportunity to connect with the South African market and develop business relations that can help strengthen the tie between Africa and the Maldives,” the MMPRC said.
“MMPRC’s participation in WTM Africa will help establish Maldives as a top destination for potential long-haul holiday makers, achieve targeted growth for tourism products, and increase arrivals in various segments.”
According the to the MMPRC, South Africa is a promising market for the Maldives as it shows consistent growth over the years and South African travellers express strong interest towards the Maldives as a holiday destination.
By 25 March, the Maldives has welcomed 1,917 arrivals from the South African market. To promote the Maldives in this market, the MMPRC has been carrying out a campaign with VoyagesAfriq, an African travel and tourism media. A joint campaign with Thompsons Holidays targeting South African travellers has been planned for this year as well.
