Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC / Visit Maldives) has initiated a series of high-profile roadshows titled ‘Maldives Roadshow in USA and Canada’. MMPRC’s series of roadshows are held under the effort to maintain destination momentum in the North American market – one of the top source markets to the Maldives as of 2022. The roadshows were held in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto on 12th, 14th and 15th September respectively.

These roadshows are conducted under MMPRC’s strategies to strengthen relations with the US and Canadian travel trade. It further aims to familiarise 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 utilising this event to market and advertise the Maldives tourism products, namely resorts, hotels, guesthouses, and liveaboards, along with the country’s unique geography and the extraordinary experiences awaiting tourists in the Sunny Side of Life.

MMPRC’s Maldives roadshows begin with a warm introduction of the industry partners followed by a destination presentation. The presentation 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 their industry partners. Afterwards, a lavish dinner concludes a night of networking and connecting.

Despite the long distance, the US market is one of the top source markets to the Maldives. It is an indication of the Maldives’ strong presence and demand in the US market. As of 7th September 2022, the Maldives has welcomed 52,168 tourists from the US, making it the 6th top source market for tourism. On 12th August, 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 organising familiarisation trips with media and influencers. Visit Maldives also conducted campaigns with leading tourism companies such as Worth Magazine, Goway, and SQ. Other activities planned ahead for this market include; print magazine ads, TV campaigns, more familiarisation 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, familiarisation 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 recognised 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 travellers from all over the globe.