The third edition of the MIB Guesthouse Symposium 2026, organized by the Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB), has begun today.
The symposium is being held at Barcelo Nasandhura. Speaking at the opening ceremony, MIB CEO and Managing Director Mufaddal Idris Khumri stated that guesthouse business in the Maldives is expanding at a rapid pace. The number of tourists opting to stay at guesthouses are also seeing an increase, he said, adding that it is now the time to focus on sustainability in the sector.
Khumri stated that tourists who visit local islands are looking to experience Maldives' authenticity, culture and natural resources, and as such it is imperative that these are protected and preserved. He stressed the importance of sustainability practices such as waste management, reef protection and environmental protection efforts.
The keynote speech at the MIB Guesthouse Symposium 2026 was delivered by globally renowned professional speaker and online business strategist Kiruba Shankar.
Shankar shared strategies to market and promote guesthouses with the symposium attendees.
Shankar noted the importance of each guesthouse having its own unique characteristics. He shared tips on how to make a guesthouse stand out amongst competition in the market.
He also shared his knowledge on the use of rapidly evolving marketing tools to promote guesthouses.
While tourists use AI assistance to seek guesthouses for their vacations, businesses should create a strong digital footprint, he stressed, sharing pointers on how to achieve this.
The MIB Guesthouse Symposium brings together guesthouse owners, operators, tourism sector leaders and other stakeholders to exchange ideas and advice. The symposium also covers wide discussions on the future of tourism and guesthouses and avenues of further developing the sector.
This annual symposium presents guesthouse industry professionals to address challenges in the sector and share experiences with similar businesses across the country.
The theme for this year's symposium is 'Beyond the Stage: Building the Guesthouse of Tomorrow".
The newly introduced Guesthouse Awards will also be presented during the MIB Guesthouse Symposium.
