Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC / Visit Maldives) has initiated a series of high-profile roadshows titled ‘Maldives Roadshow in USA and Canada’. The series, which began with a roadshow in Los Angeles on September 12, moved to New York on September 14, and the last leg will take place in Toronto on September 15. It is an effort to maintain destination momentum in the North American market—one of the top source markets to the Maldives as of 2022.
These roadshows are being conducted under MMPRC’s strategies to strengthen relations with the U.S. and Canadian travel trade. It further aims to familiarize the travel trade with Maldives and ultimately increase arrival figures from the markets. A total of 11 industry partners from the Maldives tourism industry are taking part in these roadshows. The delegation consists of luxury high-end resorts, tour operators, and industry professionals. MMPRC, along with said industry partners, are fully utilizing this event to market and advertise the Maldives tourism products, namely resorts, hotels, guesthouses, and liveaboards, along with the country’s unique geography and experiences awaiting tourists in the Sunny Side of Life.
The roadshows begin with an introduction of the industry partners followed by a destination presentation, which highlights the unique experiences available in the Maldives, and the latest travel guidelines applicable for the destination. The safety provided by the scattered geography of the Maldives is also highlighted during the roadshows in this series. The presentation is followed by an afternoon of networking between industry partners and the North American travel trade community. The meetings strengthen trade relationships between potential travel agents and our industry partners. Afterwards, a lavish dinner concludes a night of networking and connecting.
Despite the long distance, the U.S. market is one of the top source markets to the Maldives. It is an indication of the Maldives’ strong presence and demand in the U.S. market. As of September 7, 2022, the Maldives has welcomed 52,168 tourists from the U.S., making it the sixth top source market for tourism. On August 12, the Maldives achieved the one millionth tourist arrival mark for this year.
MMPRC has held several activities targeting this market this year, including taking part in ATTA’s AdventureELEVATE 2022 and conducting a travel trade webinar, as well as organizing familiarization trips with media and influencers. They also conducted campaigns with tourism companies such as Worth Magazine, Goway, and SQ. Other activities planned ahead for this market include print magazine ads, TV campaigns, more familiarization trips, and taking part in USTOA Annual Conference.
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, familiarization trips, marketing campaigns, webinars, and interviews. The greatest testament to the success of these 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 recognized 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 travelers from all over the globe.
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