Opened on 06th June 2021, Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives is now celebrating its first Anniversary. On this very special day for the resort, the management extended their deepest gratitude to the guests, ambassadors, and stakeholders who have helped establish the resort as a stunning destination where guests' time and space are redefined. It would not have been attainable without the unwavering faith everyone has had in the value that the resort stands for.

Kuda Villingili believes in one philosophy – happy ambassadors make for happy guests. As a privately owned and managed resort, Kuda Villingili believes in the intrinsic value of developing ambassadors' potential. It is a philosophy developed from the ideology of the Owner of MFAR, a visionary leader and philanthropist who considers the betterment of people in all his entrepreneurial decisions. 

The resort has worked closely with the local community over the past year and supports them as part of its sustainability initiatives. In the future as well, the resort intends to develop this synergy further and work towards a more sustainable future together. Kuda Villingili's sustainability efforts extend toward green initiatives, as demonstrated by the actions taken to achieve Green Globe certification.

The First Anniversary of Kuda Villingili was capped with a celebratory lunch served by the management for the ambassadors, and an event held at The Hawkers for the guests and ambassadors. Everyone joined in the celebration for a memorable time in their home away from home.

The General Manager, Morgan Martinello, said, "It is a moment of pride looking at our past achievements. The resort opened amid the pandemic, yet we have been able to come this far with the support of everyone involved. I am sincerely grateful to our guests, ambassadors, the owners, and stakeholders who continue to be part of this family."

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Located a mere 30-minute comfortable speedboat ride away from the Velana International Airport, Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives embraces cultural diversity. Designing its Suite, 59 beach villas, and 36 water villas in an Asian eclectic style, further enriched by the local arts and fabrics, the spacious open-plan accommodation offers a 180- degree view of the vast Indian Ocean. It is a haven where guests can spend time with their loved ones, make up for lost times, and build or strengthen friendships. From culinary delights served in 7 restaurants to an idyllic Spa located on a separate island, a Kuda Fiyo, Tennis courts, and recreation center for thrill-seekers, to an azure destination pool spanning 150m, Kuda Villingili is a slice of paradise where everyone is welcome.

Kuda Villingili celebrates the first year anniversary

Stand the chance to win and explore ‘the tropical paradise’ from high up in the clouds with the largest seaplane operator in the world. Trans Maldivian Airways will be collaborating with Maldives Virtual Tour to give away a grand seaplane tour for one lucky participant of the Maldives Virtual Tour Expo 2022.

This seaplane tour will cover over 700 Islands and 13 atolls within 12 hours to show the natural beauty surrounding the Maldives. During the tour, the seaplane will be stopping at different destinations, where guests can hop onto the island to explore and enjoy some refreshments. In addition to this, Trans Maldivian Airways will be taking the lucky winner to Addu City which is the southernmost atoll of the archipelago.

Don’t miss out on the chance to win this once-in-a-life time opportunity during the Maldives Virtual Tour Expo, where you can explore the Maldives in one of the most unique ways possible. All the visitors can participate in the ultimate giveaway lucky draw and stand the chance to win 50 free holidays to the Maldives in addition to the Grand Prize offered by Trans Maldivian Airways.

Trans Maldivian Airways is your gateway to the stunning Maldives. More than 300 TMA flights take to the Maldivian skies every single day, connecting guests from Velana International Airport to over 80 resorts in the Maldives, further solidifying Trans Maldivian's pivotal role in the Maldivian Tourism Industry.

Maldives Virtual Tour expo is going to be the largest virtual consumer travel fair of the Maldives reaching over millions of travelers across the globe. This fair will allow people to experience Maldives from the comfort of their homes and book their dream holiday at the best rates. In addition to this, Maldives Virtual Tour will be featuring over 1000 breathtaking virtual tours from different islands across the country including resorts and local islands. The 360 tours featured on the website allow people to explore all aspects of the destination and experience it virtually before booking their stay.

Stand the chance to win the ultimate scenic seaplane tour of the Maldives with TMA

Renowned for its sustainability initiatives and marine conservation effort, Reethi Faru Resort is thrilled to announce the launch of ‘Reethi Shirt’ collaborated with the organic clothing brand Playa London.

Playa London is based in London, UK and designs shirts that are socially responsible in every way throughout the production line and are tailored as per a location’s culture and climate. Their shirts are produced for destinations such as Bali, Maldives, the Mediterranean and the UK.

Appreciating the sustainability effort of Playa London, Reethi Faru Resort is glad to collaborate with the brand that shares similar visions and goals toward corporate environmental responsibility. ‘Reethi Shirt’ is not just about naming a garment after Reethi Faru Resort. In the Maldivian language, Dhivehi, the word ‘Reethi’ means ‘beautiful’. This ‘beautiful shirt’ is made of thin and white organic peshtemal cotton and sustainably sourced oak buttons, with a grandad collar and ¾ length Playa sleeves. Its classic fit design and lightweight fabric perfectly suit the warm climate and summer vibes to be worn in the Maldives. The shirt is now available in five sizes on Playa London website at 

Cast adrift in Raa Atoll, Reethi Faru Resort is blessed by Mother Nature for its tropical flora and fauna. Keeping its promises to the environment, the boutique resort continues to preserve the sustainable environment for the guests to enjoy their holiday getaway in the bio-luxury paradise.

Reethi Faru Resort collaborates with sustainable clothing brand Playa London

Media professionals from leading media outlets from India arrived in the Maldives by invitation from Maldives Marketing and Public Relation Corporations (MMPRC / Visit Maldives) for a familiarization trip. The team will be staying in the Maldives from 13th to 19th June 2022.

This team consists of professionals from the media outlets which includes Times of India, Financial Express, BW Business World, NDTV Food, and Travel Dine. The team is hosted at Kuramathi Maldives, The Residence Maldives and Noku Maldives where they are experiencing the world-renowned Maldivian hospitality, unique experiences, and different cuisines at their host properties. The theme of the familiarization trip is gastronomy, and they are experiencing the unique cuisines of the Maldives during their trip. The team will publish articles about the destination and the host resorts in their respective magazines and publications, which has extensive reach among travelers from India.

Officials from MMPRC visited Kuramathi and met with the two, holding discussions about ways to broaden efforts to further promote the destination in the Indian market. MMPRC representatives also shared a destination presentation with the members of the visiting team, giving the latest updates on travel guidelines to the Maldives, and interesting unique experiences available here.

The purpose of this familiarization trip is to promote the destination amongst potential travelers from India. The trip is expected to generate huge coverage highlighting the unique geographical advantage of our scattered islands and the one-island-one-resort concept which makes Maldives one of the safest holiday destinations in the world. It will further help to promote the unique experiences and individual tourism products of the Maldives (resorts, guesthouses, liveaboards, and hotels). This trip is organized as part of MMPRC’s marketing strategy for the India market, aiming to provide the latest information about the travel guidelines to potential travelers from the region.

The fam trip is forecasted to increase arrival figures and bookings from India to the Maldives. So far this year MMPRC has held a destination e-learning campaign with 2HUB, influencer familiarization trips and celebrity familiarization trips. There are two digital campaigns ongoing, with Thomas Cook and PickyourTrail. In addition to this MMPRC participated in OTM and SATTE this year focusing on the India Market. There are several other marketing and advertising activities in the pipeline for this market for this year.

As of 8th June 2022, India is the leading source market for the Maldives with over 104,800 tourists visiting the destination from this market. India contributed 14.3% to the market share from the total 732,884 arrivals recorded to the Maldives during this period. India was also the largest market in 2021 with over 278,740 travelers and a market share of 22.6%. Similarly, India was the largest market in 2020 with an arrival figure of 62,960 and a market share of 11.3%.

MMPRC carried out 260 different marketing activities in 22 global markets last year, including fairs, roadshows, familiarization 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 travelers from all over the globe.

Professionals from leading India media outlets arrive in the Maldives for familiarization trip

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC / Visit Maldives) has initiated a campaign with Travel Daily Media aimed at increasing visibility for the Maldives in the SEA market. The campaign will be held from July to September 2022.

Travel Daily Media is an online platform specialized in disseminating travel and hospitality industry news, opinion, and analysis for travel professionals. They have active subscriber bases and contributors in Asia, Europe, USA, Middle East, China, and India. Their audience is made up of travel professionals from across the industry with a focus on travel and tour agencies, hospitality, aviation, cruising, MICE and Technology.

The purpose of this campaign is to build high attention and visibility for the Maldives, maintain brand presence, raise brand awareness, and to represent Maldives as a top of the mind destination in the SEA market. It also aims to showcase the uniqueness of Maldives as the world’s leading destination. Under this campaign, articles relating to Maldives will be posted on the front page of Travel Daily Media, and on their newsletter. Furthermore, social media posts will be circulated on their Facebook page, and the Maldives will be advertised on their website top banner and through the email sponsorship banner. An exclusive interview of MMPRC will also be posted on their platforms during this campaign.

Through this campaign we will market the destination as one of the safest choices for tourists, highlighting the unique geography of our scattered islands which provide ultimate privacy and security. It will also help MMPRC to promote our tourism products, including resorts, hotels, guesthouses, liveaboards, and the unique experiences available for tourists in the destination. We will further be able to provide the latest information about the destination and its travel guidelines to the travel trade and tourists from the SEA market.

This campaign is conducted as part of MMPRC’s marketing strategy for the SEA market, which focuses on boosting arrival numbers to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. The strategy is also based on re-orienting the perception of Maldives solely as a honeymoon or luxury destination and promoting other segments of tourism in this market. It comes under a new short-term strategy devised to address the evolving geopolitical climate in the world following the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war. With Russia and CIS topping the arrivals figures in recent years, the strategy is aimed at mitigating the potential negative impact on arrival numbers from this region by strategizing marketing activities in selected markets to minimize the potential adverse effects on the Maldives tourism industry and the nation’s economy.

From January to July 2022 Maldives welcomed 18,489 tourists from the SEA market. MMPRC has been holding several activities targeting this market, including joint marketing campaigns with major stakeholders, outdoor advertising campaigns, participation in fairs, hosting webinars, E-Learning programs, and other events. Many similar activities are in the pipeline for this market for this year as well, including joint marketing campaigns, roadshows, and participation in fairs and exhibitions.

MMPRC carried out 260 different marketing activities in 22 global markets last year, including fairs, roadshows, familiarization 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 recognized 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 travelers from all over the globe.

MMPRC begins campaign with Travel Daily Media aimed at increasing visibility for the Maldives in the SEA market

Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC / Visit Maldives) is collaborating with Dotcom Arabia to promote the Maldives in Germany. The campaign will be held in August 2022. Our aim is to boost the brand visibility of the Maldives in the German market, increase destination awareness, and ultimately increase the arrival figure from the German market. During the campaign, alluring pictures of the Maldives will be displayed at Potsdamer Platz-Quartier and Berlin Airport.

Potsdamer Platz-Quartier is a busy hub, and the advertisements are estimated to reach an impressive 5.5 million people. The advertisements at Berlin Airport will reach 1.2 million potential travelers. The attractive advertisements will help inspire people to travel to the Maldives for their next vacation. With over 5 years of experience, Dotcom Arabia is a leading outdoor advertising agency in the region. The company has represented the world's leading companies such as BBC, Financial Times, The Guardian, Vogue etc. They have also conducted tourism campaigns with clients such as Saudi Tourism, Etihad Airways, and several other high-profile clients.

As of 20th July 2022, Maldives has welcomed 73,118 arrivals from Germany. A grand total of 900, 808 travelers have arrived in the Maldives so far in 2022. MMPRC has taken part in major fairs across the German market such as IMEX 2022, IMM Germany, and ITB Digital Business Day. We have also conducted marketing campaigns with TUI Austria, TUI Germany, Condor, and FTI so far this year. Media and influencer familiarization trips, social media campaigns, destination e-learning campaigns, and a Maldives roadshow in Germany are in the pipeline for the rest of this year.

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, familiarization 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 recognized 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 travelers from all over the globe.

MMPRC to Conduct Outdoor Promotional Campaign in key German locations

The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives), Mr Thoyyib Mohamed, has joined the high-level panel discussion at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Destination Marketing Forum 2022 (PDMF). The forum gathers the top minds in destination travel for insightful discussions on key issues in marketing and managing tourism growth to lesser-known destinations. This action-packed, annual event features two non-stop days of learning, discovery, and networking.

Beginning on August 4th in Songkhla, Thailand, the event invited high-level executives in global destination travel, including H.E. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand; and Ms Supawan Teerarat, the Senior Vice President of MICE Capability and Innovation, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB). The forum further included prominent speakers such as Ms Nicola Eliot, the Vice President of BBC StoryWorks; Ms Montakarn Suvanatap Kittipaisalsilp, Program Officer for Culture, UNESCO Thailand; and Ms Naomi Mano, President of the Japan MICE Association and President and CEO of Luxurique Inc. The high-level delegates joined the forum for inspiring and insightful discussions on marketing and managing tourism growth to lesser-known destinations under the theme “Building Back Sustainably through Cultural Heritage and Community-based Tourism”. 

CEO & MD Thoyyib attended the forum by invitation from PATA, as one of the expert speakers for the “Destination Marketing in the age of COVID-19” panel. In addition to CEO & MD Thoyyib, the expert panel consisted of; Ms Noredah Othman, CEO of Sabah Tourism and Mr Dinh Ngoc Duc, the Director General of Tourism Marketing Department of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

Speaking at the session, Thoyyib recalled how MMPRC handled the Covid-19 crisis amidst the pandemic, and the many successes and accolades achieved during the time including; being stamped with the 'Safe Travels' label on September 18, 2020, by the World Travel Tourism Council; the fully digital campaign “Maldives; The Sun Will Shine Again” watched live by over 850,000 people across the world; and the highly-successful ‘I’m Vaccinated’ Covid-19 vaccination drive conducted together with the Ministry of Tourism.

“During the past year, our focus has been on working together to tackle the challenges faced by Covid-19. And our tourism sector has been extremely successful.” He said, “We dropped to half a million tourists in 2020 but this figure jumped to over 1.3 million in 2021. We are nearing the 1 millionth tourist mark in 2022 already, and I am proud to announce that the Maldives is now closing in on pre-pandemic arrival figures.”

In 2019, prior to the onset of the pandemic, the Maldives saw 990,791 visitors as of 31st July. While this number dipped significantly over the next two years, we are seeing a resurgence this year, with arrivals standing at 942,444 as of 30th July 2022.

In concluding his remarks at the discussion, Thoyyib asserted that the future of the Maldives tourism industry is bright, and full of promise and potential. He said that he considers this the perfect time to roll up our sleeves and continue to make the changes we need for the future, to maintain the Maldives’ position ahead of the curve, as we have done before. 

The global Covid-19 pandemic had a long-lasting impact across all dimensions of the travel and tourism industry. Destination marketing organizations had to rethink and readjust marketing strategies to adapt to constantly evolving situations. MMPRC was at the forefront of marketing the Maldives as a tourist destination during the pandemic. Since then, the Maldives has secured the title of the ‘World’s Leading Destination’ by World Travel Awards in two consecutive years and has established itself as one of the most desired and popular destinations in the world.

MMPRC CEO & MD Thoyyib Mohamed joins high-level panel discussion at PATA Destination Marketing Forum

Telecommunication giant Ooredoo Maldives has signed as the platinum partner for TTM Maldives 2022, Maldives leading international travel trade show which will be held from 23rd to 25th August 2022. This is the fifth consecutive year that Ooredoo Maldives has signed as a partner for TTM Maldives. 

Ooredoo Maldives provides an innovative range of voice, data, broadband, and content and enterprise services tailored to the growing needs of today’s consumers and businesses. Guided by its vision of enriching people’s lives and its beliefs that it can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential, Ooredoo has transformed the digital lives of communities across the Maldives. 

Ooredoo Maldives has remained as an important contributor and continues to support the tourism industry in the Maldives through their unbeatable digital solutions. The telecom giant offers several tailored digital solutions to its customers in the hospitality industry, Digital Hub, digital entertainment, data center and managed services and cloud services. In addition to the digital solutions, the Ooredoo Maldives also launched a destination Marketing Campaign, Visit Maldives Now, reaching its international network of over 117 million people across 10 countries to help the nation restart tourism amid the pandemic. 

As part of TTM Maldives 2022, The TTM Connect meetings will be held at Meeruma Conference and Facility on 23rd and 24th August 2022. The TTM Travel Summit and TTM Awards and Gala will be hosted at CROSSROADS Maldives on 25th August. More than 200 hoteliers, suppliers, related industries, and travel industry professionals from Maldives and abroad are expected to visit TTM to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends in Maldives. 

The registered exhibitors of TTM will also get a lot of added benefits including the usage of “Connect” Portal to pre-arrange meetings online prior to the event. Exhibitors will also get access to the invitation only TTM Travel Summit and Awards and Gala night. Every year, TTM Maldives sees over 3000 pre-scheduled meetings with over $1 billion worth of contracts discussed. 

Partners of TTM Maldives 2022 also include Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation, Ooredoo Maldives, CROSSROADS Maldives, Jalboot Maldives, HRS International and IDeaS.

Ooredoo Maldives signs as the platinum partner for TTM Maldives 2022

Qatar Airways is transforming travel to the Maldives with a new interline partnership with Maldivian, the Maldives’ national airline. This agreement allows passengers to book flights with both airlines directly through qatarairways.com, simplifying travel arrangements to the stunning Maldives.

Travelers can now seamlessly combine Qatar Airways and Maldivian flights in a single booking. Upon arrival at Velana International Airport, passengers will experience a smooth transfer to the domestic terminal for their connecting Maldivian flight. This collaboration provides expanded travel options, competitive fares, and well-coordinated flight schedules.

The new partnership enhances global connectivity, offering access to 17 domestic destinations in the Maldives, including Dharavandhoo, Faresmaathodaa, Funadhoo, Fuvahmulah, Gan, Hanimaadhoo, Ifuru, Kaadedhdhoo, Kadhdhoo, Kooddoo, Maafaru, Maavarulu, Madivaru, and Thimarafushi. Maldivian also connects to nearby regions like Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka with a fleet that includes seaplanes and traditional aircraft. Qatar Airways, recently named Skytrax’s World’s Best Airline for the eighth time, operates flights to over 170 destinations globally, including daily services to Male.

#Press Release

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