The National Hotels and Guesthouse Association of Maldives (NHGAM), in collaboration with Visit Maldives and the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), has launched a tourism roadshow in Moscow to promote the Maldives across key markets in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region.
The 'I AM Maldives CIS Region Roadshow' will also travel to St Petersburg and Almaty on 23 and 25 September, respectively.
The initiative has brought together 26 Maldivian tourism companies and more than 50 participants representing guesthouses, resorts, hotels, liveaboards and travel agencies.
More than 90 travel trade professionals, including tour operators, travel agents and industry decision-makers, took part in the Moscow event through business-to-business networking sessions and presentations.
NHGAM also launched the 2026-2027 edition of its 'I AM Maldives' magazine during the Moscow event. The publication was launched by NHGAM President Abdulla Nasheed.
The association said promoting community-led and local island tourism would be a key focus of the roadshow, alongside showcasing the wider range of tourism products available in the Maldives.
Participants were introduced to local island experiences, sustainable tourism practices, luxury resort offerings and accommodation and activities available across the country.
NHGAM said tourism industry participants expressed satisfaction with the organisation of the events and the business connections established during the Moscow programme.
Russia remains an important source market for the Maldives. The country recorded 278,761 tourist arrivals to the Maldives in 2025, an increase of 23.8% from the previous year.
As of 2 September 2026, Russia had recorded 209,815 arrivals to the Maldives, accounting for 14.6% of total tourist arrivals and making it the country's second-largest source market.
Kazakhstan ranked 11th among source markets as of June 2026, with 18,602 arrivals and a 1.8% share of total arrivals.
NHGAM said the wider Central Asian market also offered significant potential, with improving air connectivity across the CIS region expected to support further growth.
"Russia and the CIS region are among the most important and high-potential markets for the Maldives," NHGAM President Abdulla Nasheed said.
"This roadshow was a strategic step to further strengthen our presence in these regions and introduce the unique offerings of the Maldives to a wider audience."
The CIS roadshow is the latest international market initiative organised under the 'I AM Maldives' brand.
Previous roadshows were held in Georgia and Azerbaijan, followed by Romania, Poland and the Czech Republic in 2025, and Hong Kong and Malaysia in the first quarter of 2026.
NHGAM said the CIS initiative forms part of its international market activities for 2026, aimed at strengthening the Maldives' presence among travel trade partners and travellers in the region.