Maldives was promoted as an emerging MICE destination at MICE India and Luxury Travel Congress, (MILT Congress). The event was held in Grand Hyatt Mumbai from 5th to 6th October 2021.

Over seven years, The MICE India & Luxury Travel Congress (MILT) has gained a reputation for bringing together carefully vetted Indian MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) buyers to meet international suppliers, capitalizing on India’s massive outbound MICE & business travel market that is estimated to reach USD93 billion by 2030 and with its outbound tourism market worth USD 45 Billion.

The MILT Congress continues to be India's premier, closed-door platform that provides an opportunity for world-class travel & hospitality partners to have face to face conversations with top corporations, most prominent associations, biggest film production houses, top travel agencies and premium destination wedding planners.

Maldives was exhibited at the MILT Congress in a uniquely designed swing chair (traditional joali) and table setting. Through our participation in this event we aimed to maintain destination presence among highly active MICE agents and launched a global campaign to promote Maldives as an emerging MICE destination. MILT Congress provides a platform for industry stakeholders to promote their properties and to inform potential customers of the MICE opportunities available at their establishments.

During the two day event, Visit Maldives provided the latest destination information and travel guidelines to attendees and held a Q&A session regarding MICE offerings for travel and trade stakeholders from India. We focused on promoting the naturally social-distanced geography and the stringent safety

measures at our products (resorts, hotels, guesthouses and liveaboards), making Maldives a safe haven for travelers amidst the global pandemic.

On the first day of the event, Thoyyib Mohamed, the Managing Director of Visit Maldives, addressed the audience at the panel discussion and discussed safety protocols and the reasons that make Maldives one of the safest destinations for travelers. Furthermore, Visit Maldives also held a special luncheon to launch our global MICE campaign at MILT Congress.

Industry partners who joined Visit Maldives to promote the MICE opportunities in the destination include Baglioni Resort Maldives & Villa Hotels & Resorts. We connected with more than 100+ travel professionals during the two day event. The Maldives received a lot of support and acclaim during the event, and the travel trade community expressed a deep interest and curiosity regarding the destination and MICE opportunities available in the Maldives.

Our participation in MILT Congress is in line with our new strategy to redefine the MICE sector, and showcase the multitude of opportunities available in the Maldives, for businesses, companies and travel trade stakeholders, to host their next MICE event and seamlessly merge business and leisure.

India is the top source market for Maldives. By 23rd September 2021, Maldives welcomed 843,552 tourists to the country, out of which 22.7% or 191,824 tourists were from India. The growing number of arrivals from India to Maldives in the past couple of years has enabled them to lead in the top 10 source market list for several years.