The Maldives has today welcomed our 1.8 millionth tourist for the year 2023, successfully reaching the arrival target set for the year. Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/ Visit Maldives) held a vibrant ceremony today to mark the momentous occasion. We reached this incredible milestone on 20th December 2023 with the arrival of Dutch native Mr Stefan Mathijs Hermans on flight EK652 from Dubai, UAE. This is Mr Hermans’ first trip to the Maldives and he is here for a family holiday with his wife and two children. This is the first year that the Maldives has ever welcomed over 1.8 million tourists and marks our highest arrival numbers to date.

MMPRC hosted the special celebratory event at Velana International Airport to commemorate this momentous milestone, joined by representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), Maldives Immigration, and Maldives Customs Service. The Minister of Tourism, Honourable Ibrahim Faisal joined the event today in addition to the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO & MD) of MMPRC, Ms Fathmath Thaufeeq. The CEO & MD of MACL, Mr Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed, the Head of Airport Division, Principal Immigration Officer of Maldives Immigration, Ms Fathimath Majidha Hassan, and the Deputy Commissioner of Customs, Mr Mahmood Riyaz also joined the event celebrating this landmark achievement.

“We are immensely proud of this achievement and remain committed to reaching the targets set for our tourism industry for next year as well. Every visitor who arrives in the Maldives has their breath taken away by the natural beauty of our nation, the warm hospitality of our people, and the unmatched variety of places to stay and things to do. We are here to make sure that everyone everywhere in the world knows that their perfect holiday is waiting for them in the Sunny Side of Life,” said CEO & MD of MMPRC, Ms Fathmath Thaufeeq. 

MMPRC has been continuously conducting marketing campaigns throughout the year 2023, leveraging marketing strategies and immersive promotional campaigns that showcase the unparalleled beauty and experiences that the Maldives has to offer. With our comprehensive 360-degree marketing approach, our efforts resonated with the worldwide audience, ensuring that the Maldives as a destination remained in the spotlight throughout the year for travellers seeking unforgettable experiences. We conducted a total of 349 marketing and promotional campaigns throughout the year with a combined reach of over 6,011,389,743.

Notable collaborations include joint-campaigns with world-renowned brands such as BBC Studios, CNN International Commercial and Qatar Airways. Another highlight of the year was the success of the Visit Maldives Storytellers’ Conference 2023. Our strategic promotional activities aimed at improving visitor numbers during the low season through sustainable tourism experiences allowed the Maldives to further cement our place as the top destination in the world, achieving over 1 million visitors within only seven months. 

The success of these campaigns were recognised on the global stage during the World Travel Awards event, where the MMPRC and the Maldives won the three highest honours of the night. The Maldives was awarded the prestigious title of World’s Leading Destination for the fourth year in a row, along with being a recipient of the newly-introduced Global Tourism Resilience Award for strategically building capacity to recover swiftly and thrive after disruptions. MMPRC was recognised for its work in promoting the Maldives as a destination with the World’s Leading Tourist Board Award for the second year in a row.