Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC / Visit Maldives) has initiated a marketing campaign with the Italian sustainability lifestyle magazine Green Me. This campaign aims to re-establish the Maldives as a close-to-heart destination for the Italian market and to create awareness on sustainability practices and initiatives in the Maldives tourism industry. The campaign will be held from July-September 2022. 

Established in 2009, Green Me is one of the leading online magazines on sustainable lifestyle in Italy. The brand aims to spread ideas and promote lifestyles that are attuned to nature. The website attracts over 10 million users and 70 thousand users subscribe to the monthly newsletter.

Branded articles, social media posts, a newsletter, a banner, and special category dedicated to the Maldives will be created on the Green Me website under this campaign. The content will promote the different segments of tourism such as romance, wellness, luxury, diving and watersports. It will also create greater awareness of the various products (resorts, guesthouses, liveaboards, hotels) and experiences available in the Maldives. The content will especially highlight the sustainability initiatives and practices carried out by the tourist establishments in the Maldives. These include coral restoration projects, marine life conservation, environmental awareness, and more. 

Interest in sustainability is a rising trend amongst Italian travellers. With that, we will be able to position Maldives as a leading sustainability destination in the Italian market. The campaign will also provide the opportunity for our members' properties to advertise their sustainability initiatives. Aligned with the strategy for the Italian market, the campaign will capitalise on the generational affinity that Italians have for Maldivians, with a more personalised campaign which relates to memories from parents and grandparents who spent their holiday in the Maldives. 

The Maldives welcomed over 1.3 million visitors in 2021, out of which 27,332 visitors were from Italy. The Italian market is a traditionally important market to the Maldives. This year, approximately 50,000 travellers arrived from Italy to the Maldives. 

MMPRC has been holding several activities to maintain destination presence and increase arrivals from the Italian market. This includes joint marketing campaigns with Lonely Planet, Alpitour, Sporting Vacanze, Bluavacanze, and Mediamond. MMPRC also participated in BIT Milan 2022. There are several more exciting marketing campaigns planned for this market this year, such as familiarisation trips, the Maldives roadshow in Italy, and TTG Travel Experience. 

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 MMPRC’s 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 is the second consecutive year that the Maldives had successfully earned this prestigious title, a shining testimony of the trust placed in the ‘magic of Maldivian hospitality’ by travellers from all over the globe.