Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC / Visit Maldives) kicked off an exciting series of roadshows yesterday titled ‘Connect with Maldives, Your Ultimate Destination’ targeting the United Kingdom (UK). This series of roadshows are conducted under our efforts to maintain destination momentum and further promote the destination in the UK market. The first of these roadshows was held in London on 9th November, coinciding with the last day of WTM London 2022, while the remaining second was hosted in Manchester on 10th November. The last roadshow in this series will be hosted in Newcastle on 11th November.

‘Connect with Maldives, Your Ultimate Destination’ Roadshow series is conducted under MMPRC’s efforts to strengthen relations with the UK travel trade. The activity will familiarise them with all things Maldives in order to increase bookings and arrivals from this market. A total of 12 industry partners from the Maldives tourism industry took part in the roadshow in London, and 11 industry partners in the roadshows in Manchester and Newcastle. MMPRC, along with said industry partners, are fully utilising these events to market and advertise the Maldives and our tourism products; resorts, hotels, guesthouses, and liveaboards. The roadshow series will also promote the country’s unique geography, the latest destination updates, and the extraordinary experiences awaiting tourists in the Sunny Side of Life.

Each roadshow begins with an introduction of our industry partners followed by a destination presentation. The presentation highlights the unique experiences offered in the Maldives, and the latest travel guidelines applicable for the destination. The safety provided by the scattered geography of the Maldives is also being highlighted during the roadshow series. Each roadshow ends with a raffle draw with a free holiday package for two lucky winners.

The major objectives of hosting this series is to maintain the UK as one of the key source markets for the Maldives and strengthen trade relationships between potential travel agents and our industry partners, in line with MMPRC’s marketing strategies for the UK. The UK is traditionally one of the top source markets for the Maldives and currently ranks at 3rd with 147,535 arrivals by 2nd November this year. This is 10.9% of the market share from the 1،354،828 total arrivals into the country during this period. MMPRC has been conducting several activities aimed at this market to maintain and broaden destination momentum. This includes; participation in fairs and exhibitions in the UK market; outdoor advertising campaigns; and social and digital media marketing campaigns. Similar activities are planned ahead for this market in the upcoming months.

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, familiarisation 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 was the second consecutive year that the Maldives had successfully earned this prestigious title, and we are nominated for the third time this year, a shining testimony of the trust placed in the ‘magic of Maldivian hospitality’ by travellers from all over the globe.