Visit Maldives hosts Jurgen Wenzel, a journalist from the German market from 7th to 13th March 2021. This is the first familiarization trip carried out for this market in 2021 and the purpose is to promote the destination as a safe haven for travelers, highlighting the unique geographical formation of Maldives and the stringent safety measures in place. This serves to entice travelers to visit the destination and circulate updated travel information to a wide audience.

The stay for the trip is arranged at Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fenfushi and Seaside Finolhu, with both properties adhering to the themes of safe haven, lifestyle, culinary and wellness. Arrangements are made for activities such as yoga programmes, spa treatments, excursions, cruises and delectable dining experiences, that complement these themes.

The major coverage avenues for the trip includes Berliner Zeitung, one of the most read newspapers in Germany, and Maitre Magazine, a quarterly publication that focuses on lifestyle, culinary art and wellness. Additionally, there is a feature in the form of an extended written story and short video clip on Gourmino Express, an online blog dedicated to culinary delights. Overall, these circulations are expected to have a combined reach of 350,000.

Steady growth has been observed from the German market, ending the year 2020 with 36,435 arrivals and ranking as the 5th source market of tourist arrivals. In January 2021, 3,390 arrivals were recorded from Germany, ranking as the 7th market of top tourist arrivals in this month. In order to maintain and boost these figures, several activities have been planned. These include virtual events such as webinars, social media campaigns, advertisements on digital media and print advertisements. Visit Maldives is also set to take part in the ITB Berlin Virtual Conference to  be held from 9th to 12th March 2021. This is one of the world’s leading travel trade shows and hosts tourism professionals from across the world.

The tourism industry of the Maldives has shown remarkable resilience in the face of covid-19, welcoming a total of 555,494 travelers in 2020 and over 180,000 travelers so far this year. On February 21st, daily arrivals peaked at 5,100 marking a new record figure since borders opened in July 2020. The commencement of a nationwide vaccination program, increased flight connections, and the gradual opening of major markets, provide Visit Maldives the opportunity to further promote the destination with global campaigns in association with key stakeholders in the industry.