Visit Maldives further broadened the ongoing global advertising campaign with CNN to promote the destination as one of the safest destinations for vacation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Initially launched with the reopening of the borders, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) stated that the main objective of the campaign is to keep Maldives as the top-of-mind destination for travelers on a global scale through digital and online components such as TV commercials, vignettes and digital display banners on the CNN homepage.
The first component of the campaign commenced with the launch of “5 reasons to Insta love Maldives” vignette and a video showcasing the luxury offerings of the destination, followed by the launch of “30 seconds of calm Maldives”, which showcased the serenity of the destination.
The destination has also been featured on the CNN weather watch which substantially reaches a large audience across the globe.
MMPRC noted that several campaigns conducted by Visit Maldives in the past have featured local talents and their crafts. This year and during the 2019, several top publications featured the profiles of individuals who are refining their crafts.
As part of the ongoing campaign with CNN, Maldivian Chef Sobah, who aims to make the Maldivian cuisine recognized worldwide, was featured along with the two divers whose unique job is cleaning the “windows” of the underwater restaurant in Hurawalhi Island Resort.
As another component of this campaign, a television commercial with local environmental advocate, Shaaha Hashim, has started airing on CNN starting this week.
The video portrays Maldives as a safe haven and highlights the importance of protecting the delicate environment of the country. It also expresses a strong passion for conservation by Shaaha who shares an impactful message to the audience.
Furthermore, Minister of Tourism, Dr Abdulla Mausoom appeared on CNN’s First Move, for an interview with Richard Quest. During this interview, offer packages including working vacations or “workcations”, testing procedures, overall effects on the tourism industry and the way forward were discussed in detail.
MMPRC stated that the campaign with CNN was one of the first global campaigns to launch after the reopening of the borders of the destination.
Overall, Visit Maldives has carried out over 412 different marketing activities to promote Maldives across 22 global markets, including virtual fairs, webinars, FAM trips, online roadshows, outdoor campaigns, digital media campaigns and more.
Notable campaigns such as the online roadshow in China, global advertising campaign with Skyscanner and a global media campaign in various markets were held as well.
The initiation of the Maldives Border Miles loyalty program and the Allied Inbound Travel Insurance policy also supported efforts to attract more tourists to Maldives.
As of November 30, 2020, Maldives recorded a total of 468,693 annual arrivals from different markets, and since the borders reopened, arrivals have been slowly picking up for the destination with 85,846 arrivals in total.
Maldives reopened its borders to international passengers on July 15, after nearly four months since the state halted issuing on-arrival visas on March 27. Guesthouses were permitted to resume operations and kick start local tourism on October 15.
Although Maldives has noted a significant reduction in tourist arrivals compared to pre-COVID figures, the numbers have maintained a steady upward slope indicating a stable increase, but the country has a long way to go before pre-pandemic figures are achieved.
Prior to the border closure as a preventive measure amidst the ongoing pandemic, Maldives recorded an average of 4,200 visitors on the daily.
However, the Minister of Tourism earlier expressed hopes for the industry's recovery, estimating that 100,000 tourists would visit Maldives before the end of 2020. The tourism ministry expects a total of 500,000 arrivals for the year.
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