The Maldives will be more selective with travel trade show participation as cost of such activations have gone up, said a top Maldives tourism industry official, who added that presence will only be maintained at the “bigger” events.
Abdulla Ghiyas, chairman, Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC), told TTG Asia that participation at international travel trade shows are “getting more expensive”, due to higher cost of hiring spaces at such events.
In place of trade show participation, the country’s NTO has adopted new strategies, shifting towards more direct and impactful initiatives that deliver measurable results.
Ghiyas said: “We are investing heavily in B2C advertising, brand awareness campaigns, and on-ground activations in key source markets. In addition, we are running conversion and performance-driven joint marketing campaigns with airlines, OTAs, and tour operators to ensure our spend is targeted and accountable.”
MMPRC’s partnership with Liverpool FC is a prime example of such a shift.
He said there are plans to raise the promotion budget to support these new strategies, and funding will come from a portion of the Tourism Goods and Services Tax.
Meanwhile, Ghiyas is hopeful that the recent opening of the country’s new airport terminal will herald a new tourism era. The facility can cater to 7.5 million passengers per year, a sharp rise from 1.5 million at the old terminal that was a bottleneck for inbound traffic, he acknowledged.
“We now have opportunities for more airlines, more slots,” he said.
With the help of the expanded airport, the Maldives aims to welcome three million visitors per year in the next three years, up from a target of 2.3 million.
He noted that the Maldives has an inventory of 63,000 beds, and capacity at the moment is under 60 per cent.
As such, the destination can certainly accommodate more visitors and have enough facilities to support greater arrivals.
