A group of prominent journalists from France have arrived in the Maldives for a familiarization trip, by invitation from Maldives Marketing and Public Relation Corporation’s (MMPRC / Visit Maldives). This familiarization trip is held from 30th April - 05th May 2022, under the effort to maintain the Maldives’ position as the top of the mind destination in the French market.

The journalists represent prominent French outlets such as Desire de Voyages, Les Boomeuses, Infrarouge & National Geographic. The team will stay at Sun Siyam Irufushi & The Westin Maldives Miriyandhoo Resort during their trip in the Maldives. The theme of the Familiarization trip is “well-being and relaxation”, and accordingly, the team will spend time experiencing the various health and wellness facilities available in the Maldives such as spa on the beach, yoga and meditation, and other groundbreaking wellness experiences. They are scheduled to take on several adventurous and leisure experiences in the Maldives such as snorkeling, watersports, and other unique Maldivian experiences. In addition, the team will embark on a gastronomic journey and discover haute gourmet cuisines unique to each property.

The journalists will publish feature stories on the Maldives in their respective journals. These stories will help promote the Maldives and maintain destination presence in the French market. The writings

will also provide the latest travel guidelines and information about the Maldives. In total, the stories are estimated to reach an audience of over 5.5 million readers. As of 06th April 2022, Maldives have welcomed 460,479 travelers in total, out of which 21,491 travelers are from France. France was one of the top source markets to the Maldives last year, with several promotional activities conducted for the market last year. This includes joint-marketing campaigns, webinars, participation in major fairs and exhibitions, roadshows, and hosting familiarization trips. Similar activities are planned for this year.

The Maldives has also eased travel restrictions imposed on tourists which enforced presenting of negative PCR tests by all travelers. In this regard, from 4th March 2022, tourists visiting Maldives are no longer required to present a Covid-19 PCR negative result upon arrival if the prescribed doses of vaccine are completed 14 days prior to date of arrival. As of 13th March 2022, the Maldives has also lifted the national public health emergency, imposed in response to the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic. The ease of travel restrictions and measures would make it easier for tourists to visit the Maldives.

As the company responsible for marketing the Maldives as a destination abroad, MMPRC carried out 260 different marketing activities in 22 global markets last year, including fairs, roadshows, familiarization trips, marketing campaigns, webinars, and interviews. The greatest testament to the success of these activities came late last year, as the Maldives secured the title of ‘World’s Leading Destination’ (among several other accolades) at the 2021 World Travel Awards, globally recognised as the hallmark of industry excellence. This is the second consecutive year that the Maldives had successfully earned this prestigious title, a shining testimony of the trust placed in the ‘magic of Maldivian hospitality’ by travelers from all over the globe.

This year also celebrates an exceptional year to visit the Maldives – the Golden Jubilee celebration of tourism in the Maldives kicked off earlier last year with plans to conduct new and exciting activities throughout the year.