Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) held the third edition of Quarterly Insights: Maldives Tourism Intelligence Briefing 2026 on 13 August 2026 at Barceló Nasandhura Malé, bringing together tourism industry stakeholders, government representatives, policymakers and members of the media to review the latest tourism intelligence, assess market developments and discuss priorities for the months ahead.

The Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Honourable Mohamed Ameen, reaffirmed the Government's commitment to the sustainable growth and continued development of the tourism industry. Ibrahim Shiuree, CEO and Managing Director of VMC, highlighted the importance of using evidence and industry intelligence to guide destination marketing as traveller behaviour, market conditions and air connectivity continue to evolve.

"Tourism moves quickly. Traveller behaviour changes, market conditions shift, air connectivity evolves, and new opportunities emerge. Our marketing cannot operate in isolation from those realities. It must be informed by evidence, responsive to the industry, and able to adapt as conditions change," said Ibrahim Shiuree.

The briefing presented key intelligence on visitor behaviour and connectivity. Dr Simad Saeed, Lead Consultant for the Maldives Visitor Survey 2025 at CDE Consulting, presented findings covering visitor profiles, travel behaviour and preferences. Ms Nashaya Abdul Wahid, General Manager of the Air Service Department at Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), provided an overview of air connectivity, demand recovery and the future outlook.

VMC also outlined opportunities available for greater industry participation in its destination marketing activities. Ms Aazima Rasheed, Manager of Destination Marketing at VMC, presented VMC's products, platforms and avenues for industry collaboration, while Ms Aminath Mohamed, Manager of Destination Marketing at VMC, provided an update on the Q2 Action Plan and priorities for the coming months.

Building on the previous Quarterly Insights session, VMC presented an update on feedback received from the tourism industry, outlining recommendations that have been incorporated into ongoing activities, taken forward for implementation or remain under consideration. The update reinforced Quarterly Insights as a two-way platform through which industry feedback can inform VMC's activities.

The programme also included an interactive discussion on the Visit Maldives Year 2027 Action Plan. Stakeholders highlighted priorities including diversifying the Maldives' tourism offering, strengthening sustainability across communities and tourism infrastructure, maintaining visitor experience standards, developing more authentic and locally representative content, and increasing engagement with travel advisors. CIS, Central and Eastern European, and Nordic markets were also identified as areas with further potential for development.

The briefing additionally hosted the official reveal of "Islands Are Us", the theme for Visit Maldives Year 2027. Representatives of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), National Hotels and Guesthouses Association of Maldives (NHGAM), National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM), Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), and Maldives Association of Yacht Agents (MAYA) joined VMC for the reveal, reflecting the industry-wide approach to the national campaign.

The programme concluded with remarks by Ms Sabeeha Ahmed, Chief Operating Officer of VMC.

Through Quarterly Insights, VMC continues to provide a regular platform for sharing tourism intelligence, responding to industry feedback and strengthening coordination across the sector. The insights and priorities identified during the Q3 briefing will inform upcoming destination marketing activities and the continued development of the Visit Maldives Year 2027 Action Plan.