Visit Maldives holds “Connect with Maldives - Your Safe Haven” webinar for Italian Travel Trade partners. The purpose of the event is to maintain and strengthen the destination presence in the Italian market. Furthermore, through this webinar we hope to establish Maldives as the top of the mind destination for Italian travellers and promote the destination as a safe haven.

During this event, Visit Maldives and industry partners shared the latest information and travel guidelines from the destination with travel trade partners from this market. It also gave the opportunity for industry partners to showcase their products (Resorts, Hotels, Guesthouses and Liveaboards) to the Italian travel trade. Through the webinar we hoped to provide industry stakeholders a platform to meet travel trade partners from Italian travel trade and clarify information relating to the destination.

Speaking during the opening remarks of the webinar, Managing Director of MMPRC, Thoyyib Mohamed, highlighted the safety measures in place in the Maldivian tourist establishments to ensure a safe vacation for all travellers. He also shared the latest updates on travel guidelines to the Maldives with the participants of the webinar.

The 1-hour Business to Business webinar is expected to reach over 150 top travel agents from the Italian market, resulting in increased bookings and arrivals from the Italian market in the coming months. The webinar also saw presentations from member properties, Q&A sessions and a raffle draw taken amongst those who participated. Properties that presented in this webinar include Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa, JA Manafaru and Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts. Winners of the raffle draw will be offered a 5 night stay on an all inclusive basis in these resorts.

We believe the webinar is essential to connect with travel trade partners and maintain the destination presence in the market. It is also aligned with our strategy to efficiently promote various types of experiences and tourism products available in the Maldives including guesthouses and liveaboards using various platforms. This webinar will assist in staying up to date with the latest market and sector trends including travel forecasts and consumer sentiment towards long haul travel in Italy.

So far this year Visit Maldives held a campaign with Welcome Travels, E-Learning Campaign targeted for the Italian market. Future activities planned for this market includes Travel Trade FAM and Media Trips, TTG Travel Experience and joint campaigns with travel operators.

Prior to the pandemic in 2020 Italy ranked as the 4th top source market to Maldives with 46,690 arrivals while the country ranked as the 3rd top source market to Maldives in 2019 with 136,343 arrivals. Post covid, the arrivals from the market have been down due to travel restrictions and measures taken across the globe. Our target is to achieve pre-pandemic arrivals from this market, by holding promotional and marketing activities coinciding with border opening, and lifting of travel restrictions from this market.

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