Male’ Maldives, 21st December 2022 – Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC / Visit Maldives) has celebrated President of the Maldives H.E Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s tourist arrivals target for 2022 with a vibrant ceremony to welcome the 1.6 millionth tourist to the Maldives. This milestone announced by President Solih in his Presidential address of the year, was achieved through the hard work and the dedication of government agencies, industry stakeholders and travel trade partners from across the globe.
The event held today to celebrate the arrival of the 1.6 millionth visitor of 2022 was organized by MMPRC with invaluable assistance from Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Immigration and Maldives Customs Service. The honored Chief Guest of the event was the Vice President of the Maldives H.E Faisal Naseem. The 1.6 millionth visitor, Tejas Sanjay Kothari from India arrived in the Maldives for his honeymoon onboard Air Vistara Flight No. UK271. Tejas Sanjay was conferred special gifts on behalf of MMPRC, the Tourism Ministry, and other stakeholders. This is his first time in the Maldives and he is accompanied by his spouse.
The 1.6 millionth visitor was welcomed and escorted to the event area with traditional Maldivian Boduberu and cultural procession. A traditional Maldivian dance performance was carried out for the visitor after which special gifts were conferred to him by MMPRC, MACL, Tourism Ministry, Maldives Immigration, and Maldives Customs Service. The gifts included a traditional Maldivian Tannu, conferred to the visitor by H.E Vice President Faisal Naseem, a gift hamper from Visit Maldives, and a free holiday voucher from LUX* South Ari Atoll.
Congratulating all parties involved in achieving this important milestone, the CEO & MD of MMPRC, Thoyyib Mohamed stated that the golden jubilee year of tourism holds a record for milestones related to the tourism sector, citing that this is all due to the persistent and continuous efforts of everyone involved in the industry. Thoyyib noted that it is no small feat for a tiny nation like Maldives to be crowned the World’s Leading Destination thrice in a row. He went on to highlight the perseverance of the tourism industry during the harshest of times that the world has seen recently led the country to these achievements.
Minister of Toursim Dr. Abdulla Mausoom appreciated the engagement and support of Travel and Tourism Industry stakeholders in achieving yet another milestone of Maldives Tourism success story. He stated that this quick rebound of Maldives tourism to pre-pandemic level is a clear indication of the visionary leadership of H.E President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, sound tourism policies and the strong partnership between the government and the private sector.
Last year, the Maldives achieved the 1.3 million tourist arrival mark set by the Government two months ahead of the forecasted date. This year’s 1.6 million tourist arrival figure is a 23.1 per cent increase compared to last year. This was the key milestone for 2022, despite the challenges faced due to COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The government is working to further strengthen the tourism sector with increased bed capacity and workforce skill development.
As of the fourth quarter of this year, MMPRC had conducted over 171 marketing and promotional activities including 88 marketing campaigns, 41 Fairs, 06 Roadshows, 10 Virtual Events, 17 Familiarization Trips, and 09 other events worldwide to promote Maldives as a tourist destination. The greatest testament to the success of these activities came this year, as the Maldives secured the title of ‘World’s Leading Destination’ (among several other accolades) at the 2022 World Travel Awards, globally recognized as the hallmark of industry excellence. This is the third 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 travelers from all over the globe. This year, MMPRC also secured the title of ‘World’s Leading Tourist Board’ for the first time in our nation’s history. Throughout the year the Maldives has also won several other awards while resorts, properties, tour operators, and travel agencies also won individual awards in the global arena.
As we approach the end of the year, it is peak season for tourists visiting the sunny side of the Maldives. In line with this, MACL recommends all travelers arrive at Velana International Airport (VIA) 3 hours prior to their departure to avoid delays caused by long lines.
