A media team from leading magazines and publications circulated in the South African market arrive in the Maldives for a familiarization trip. The media team, which includes journalists from Independent, Getaway Magazine, and Sunday Times will be in the country from 25th September to 2nd October.

These magazines are highly popular among the travel trade and travelers in South Africa and are published both on print, online and social media on a frequent basis. The reach of these publications are in the millions, which provides Maldives the perfect opportunity to promote the destination as a safe haven for travelers from the South African market.

The media team from South Africa will be hosted in three properties in the Maldives: Fushifaru Maldives, The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resorts and Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa. During their stay in the host properties, the media team will get to enjoy the world renowned Maldivian hospitality and unique experiences. The media team members will try spa and wellness treatments, discover cuisines from across the globe, get adventurous with exciting varieties of watersports activities including diving and snorkeling to witness first hand, the rich marine life of the Maldives.

Visit Maldives organized the trip as part of its efforts to increase Maldives’ popularity in the South African market to increase arrivals from this market and to broaden the destination presence by highlighting the destination’s sustainability and diverse experiences available for tourists in the country. It also aims to increase engagement within the market, offering the latest information of the destination and the stringent safety measures in place.

This is the second FAM trip organized by Visit Maldives this year for the South African market. Visit Maldives also took part in WTM Africa which was held virtually this year. Ongoing activities for this market includes a visibility campaign with Air Seychelles commemorating the airline’s weekly flight to the country.

As of September 16th, Maldives had welcomed 817,387 tourists, out of which 9,198 tourists were from South Africa. Visit Maldives aims to keep the momentum of Maldives as a preferred destination in all source markets and new emerging markets, with focused marketing for different segments and groups of travelers.