Promoting the Maldives post-pandemic

The pristine beaches and crystal-clear lagoons of Maldives have attracted the attention of travelers from all over the world since 1972, when Italian travel agent George Corbin and ‘Kerafa’ Ahmed Naseem collaborated to bring the first group of tourists to the country. Fifty years later, the tourism industry continues to expand and thrive while supporting the livelihoods of many Maldivians and a majority of the Maldivian economy. In celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Maldivian tourism, the Maldivian community and tourism industry are going above and beyond to show the world the true essence of Maldives that, as Maldivians, we are so proud of.

At the forefront of this effort, reportedly organising 60 different in-person events during the year 2022 with the intention of showcasing the unique attractions of Maldives to a wider demographic, is the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). In addition to these events, they have also established new connections to renowned tour operators in various countries.

In January of 2022, MMPRC initiated a month-long joint advertising campaign with one of Poland’s industry-leading tour operators; ITAKA. With approximately 30 years of experience in the tour operator field under their belt, ITAKA has earned the respect and trust of their market, which is roughly 30 percent of the Polish tourist market. The reputation of ITAKA in the Polish market can be an extremely valuable asset for MMPRC and they have announced that they plan to make good use of the opportunities that are created from this partnership. In association with ITAKA, MMPRC are planning to conduct extensive marketing in Poland, showing the beauty of Maldives through website advertisements, social media channels, and even outdoor advertising. 

MMPRC has also begun a similar advertising campaign in Italy this January, in partnership with one of their top 10 tour operators, Sporting Vacanze. Over the past two decades, Sporting Vacanze has played a vital role in establishing the Maldives as one of Italy’s top tourist destinations. They have even created a network of travel agencies on social media which greatly aided this endeavor. With the help of Sporting Vacanze, MMPRC aims to use website marketing and social media marketing on popular platforms such as tuttosport.it and Italo magazine. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced the world into lockdown, Italy was one of the highest and most consistent contributors to the Maldivian tourism industry, and the main goal of this campaign is to restore Maldives to its former glory as the ideal destination for Italian tourists.

Furthermore, MMPRC have announced collaboration with a major UK based tour operator, Kuoni UK. The UK’s citizens were greatly impacted in the early stages of the pandemic with multiple extensive lockdowns and curfews. Kuoni, with 56 years of reputable service behind them, will be aiding MMPRC to promote the Maldives as a safe destination and one that takes the necessary precautions and implements the necessary measures to keep visitors safe, healthy, and happy. In doing so, they will also attempt to reiterate the beautiful and unique attractions in the Maldives and urge tourists to travel now that borders have been opened for travel. Kuoni has built a vast database of customers over the years, and promotional material and information about the Maldives and the new safety measures will be delivered right to the customers’ email. Additionally, Kuoni will be displaying advertisements on their websites and in 26 of their retail locations around the UK.

Continuing in the European region, MMPRC is currently conducting a digital marketing initiative in cooperation with German tour operator FTI, which commenced in February as well. FTI has over 35 years of experience in the tourism sector, and have dealings with roughly 120 different countries. This campaign includes vibrant, eye-catching advertisements being displayed on FTI’s website and in their newsletter. A special landing page will also be included in the website specifically for displaying beautiful sceneries of the Maldives. The campaign also aims to inform German tourists of the new normal in Maldives and the extra measures implemented to make it a safe destination for them to visit.

MMPRC has taken steps to promote Maldives in other regions as well. The Seera Group is renowned and well-recognized in the Middle East and North Africa for their remarkable travel service provisions and their vast bank of information on tourist destinations. In partnership with MMPRC, Seera Group will release a variety of creative and informative posts on popular social media platforms in the region — onTwitter, Instagram, and Snapchat — over a two-week window from 25 February – 11 March 2022.

A major player in Japan’s tourism industry, JTB Media Retailing, has also extended their support to MMPRC in promoting the Maldives, by hosting a webinar on 22 February 2022. The webinar was conducted to raise awareness of the Maldives as a tourist destination for Japanese tourists, inform them of new safety standards and measures implemented post-pandemic, and to help MMPRC’s Visit Maldives initiative to gain more traction on Japanese social media channels.

All these initiatives and campaigns run by MMPRC serve to inform the world that Maldives is “a safe haven”, that the unique geography of the Maldives serves as "natural social distancing”, and that the strict measures implemented in the post-pandemic “new normal” are up to standards.