Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives) has successfully secured the title of World’s Leading Tourist Board 2022 at the 29th World Travel Awards. MMPRC competed against 28 other tourist boards for this prestigious title. This is the first time in Maldives’ history to achieve the prestigious title of World’s Leading Tourism Board, a shining affirmation of the hard work and dedication of MMPRC over the past year in continuing to market and maintain the Maldives in the top tier of the global tourism industry. The Maldives also secured the preeminent award for a tourism destination at the WTA, securing the title of World’s Leading Destination for the third year in a row.
The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO & MD) of MMPRC, Mr Thoyyib Mohamed, accepted the award on behalf of MMPRC at the ceremony held at Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Oman, late Friday evening. Speaking at the ceremony, Thoyyib stated that it is truly an honour to win the prestigious title of World’s Leading Destination for the third year in a row.
“This year is our Golden Jubilee of Tourism in the Maldives, and I couldn’t have asked for a better achievement to mark 50 years of welcoming visitors to our shores. This award is thanks to the guidance of our government, the support of our partners, and the hard work of the tourism industry as a whole. And of course, our visitors- we are blessed that people from around the world love the Maldives so much. This is also the first year that MMPRC, also known as Visit Maldives, secured the title of the World’s Leading Tourist Board. It feels like an affirmation of the hard work of our team over these past few years, pushing through the toughest global crises of recent times. Thank you to everyone for voting for the Maldives, and I hope to welcome you soon to the Sunny Side of Life.”
This year has been one of the most interesting years for global tourism. Most countries have now re-opened their borders for international travel following the Covid-19 pandemic, and have accordingly initiated extensive campaigns to revive tourism in their respective countries. MMPRC continued their efforts with no hesitation, even through the difficulties posed due to the Russia-Ukraine war putting a damper on some of the top and emerging markets. They adapted swiftly, shifting their attention to other potential top sources, such as the Middle Eastern, Nordic, and Indian markets.
MMPRC has already conducted a total of 149 activities in 22 global markets over the first three quarters of 2022, targeting the travel trade and consumers alike, with a reach of over 8.6 billion. One of the key focuses of their strategies was to maintain brand visibility in the global markets. In addition to promoting the Maldives as a premier luxury destination with various affordable options and diverse experiences, their messaging was clearly communicated to build confidence in the destination. MMPRC augmented this with the Tourism Golden Jubilee messaging, to veer visitors towards the celebratory mood in the Maldives tourism industry this year, to great success. The success of the marketing efforts is reflected in the arrival figures, as Maldives is close to achieving 2022’s target of welcoming 1.6 million visitors.
Since the beginning of this year, MMPRC aligned their marketing campaigns towards promoting experiential tourism, based on emerging travel trends, coinciding with the introduction of Homestay tourism in the Maldives. MMPRC also launched a series of books titled ‘Tales of Maldives’ to share some of the unique stories and folklore native to the Maldives, as part of their effort to branch out and expand their segments, such as cultural and experiential tourism. They concentrated on marketing initiatives that promote the natural beauty of the Maldives along with events to network with the industry partners and get their feedback on the best ways to promote the Maldives further as a destination with consistent messaging, to work towards our mutual goal of maintaining the Maldives as a leading destination. The Tourism Marketeers Evening 2022 that MMPRC hosted late this year is one of the many joint activities that they conduct with industry stakeholders in order to reach the common goals.
MMPRC team consists of 69 staff and the majority is female, and we are proud to say that women hold several key positions within the upper management. Regardless of the small size of the team compared to those of other tourist boards that competed with MMPRC this year, their work has been effective enough for representatives from the largest nations to consider them, Visit Maldives, the de facto benchmark for decisive, dynamic, and efficient destination marketing. It is a pleasure to have seen the fruit of the hard work this year, as the Maldives once again won the World’s Leading Destination Award, for the third consecutive year, in a moment of triumph for the entire nation.
“We are humbled that visitors and tourism organizations around the world have recognised the hard work, diligence, and dedication with which we have promoted the Maldives through some of the most uncertain times of the modern age. This year is the first time the Maldives has won the title of World’s Leading Tourist Board. We could not be prouder and happier with this achievement for our nation. Thank you for voting for us as the World’s Leading Tourist Board. We will continue to diversify, adapt to shifting travel trends, and lead the way to even more success and accolades for the Sunny Side of Life.” – Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation
