Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), on Wednesday, revealed that it would be taking part in one of the longest-running pan-regional travel shows organized by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
The PATA Travel Market, which runs on from September 23 to 27, is held on a fully virtual platform this year in conjunction with Sichuan International Travel Expo.
According to MMPRC, the corporation will connect with several qualified buyers through network lounges, interactive games and giveaway sessions during the five days of PTM.
Furthermore, MMPRC stated that the show highlights the latest updates from participating destinations and corporations, which will be useful in providing beneficial insights on travel recovery with live presentations and panels which could be utilized into future marketing strategies in the tourism industry to strengthen the image of Maldives as a destination.
"Asia Pacific has always been an important region for the Maldives in terms of tourist arrivals, as some of the highest arrivals are from this region. This includes China, India, Japan and Australia positioned in the top 10 markets for Maldives during December 2019", MMPRC said.
"While some of the countries have maintained their position during the earlier period of 2020, others are expected to grow in the future when travelling is resumed to a normal status."
In order to maintain destination presence in the markets, MMPRC took part in the PATA Dream to Travel Festival, held from 22nd June to 17th July 2020, aiming to meet experts in the field and showcase the products to the Pacific Asian Region.
MMPRC also conducted several activities including the Rediscover Maldives Webinar Series which included 4 sessions that were targeted towards giving updated information about the destination to travel trade and media across different regions.
As with numerous countries around the world, in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Maldives closed its air and sea borders to tourist arrivals on March 27, halting the issuance of on-arrival visas until July 15.
The restrictions on international travel left Maldives' heavily tourism reliant economy in an extremely vulnerable state. In mid-April, the World Bank projected that Maldives would be the worst-hit economy in the South Asian region due to the pandemic.
Despite the lifting of restrictions, Maldives has noted a significant reduction in tourist arrivals compared to pre-COVID figures, with the ministry revealing that only 13,516 visitors were recorded between July 15 and September 8.
However, Minister of Tourism Dr Abdulla Mausoom has stated that the government is expecting an additional 100,000 tourist arrivals before year-end.
Sign In