Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has kicked off an exciting series of roadshows titled Connect with Maldives, Your Ultimate Destination targeting the United Kingdom (UK). The series of roadshows are conducted in an effort to maintain destination momentum and further promote the destination in the UK market. The first roadshow was held in London on November 9, coinciding with the last day of World Travel Market (WTM) London 2022, while the remaining second was hosted in Manchester on November 10. The last roadshow in this series was hosted in Newcastle on November 11.
The roadshow series was conducted in an effort to strengthen relations with the UK travel trade. The activity will familiarise them with all things Maldives in order to increase bookings and arrivals from this market. A total of 12 industry partners from the Maldives tourism industry took part in the roadshow in London and 11 industry partners in the roadshows in Manchester and Newcastle. MMPRC, along with said industry partners, are fully utilising the events to market and advertise the Maldives and tourism products. The series will also promote the country’s unique geography, the latest destination updates, and the extraordinary experiences awaiting tourists in the country.
Each series begins with an introduction of industry partners followed by a destination presentation. The presentation highlights the unique experiences offered in the Maldives, and the latest travel guidelines applicable to the destination. The safety provided by the scattered geography of the Maldives is also highlighted during the roadshow series. Each roadshow ends with a raffle draw with a free holiday package for two lucky winners.
The aim of the series is to maintain the UK as one of the key source markets for the Maldives and strengthen trade relationships between potential travel agents and our industry partners, in line with the marketing strategies for the UK. The UK is traditionally one of the top source markets for the Maldives and currently ranks third with 147,535 arrivals by November 2. It is 10.9% of the market share from the 1.35 million total arrivals into the country during the period. MMPRC has been conducting several activities aimed at the market to maintain and broaden destination momentum including, participation in fairs and exhibitions in the UK market, outdoor advertising campaigns; and social and digital media marketing campaigns. Similar activities are planned ahead for this market in the upcoming months.