Visit Maldives Travel Expo (VMTE) kicks off today in Malaysia. The first of its kind event organized
by the Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC) will be held in association with AirAsia from 5th
to 7th July 2019 at the ground floor of IOI Mall-Putrajaya. AirAsia, the only airline that flies directly
from Kuala Lumpur to Maldives 10 times weekly, is offering 20% discount on all flights to Maldives for
bookings made during the travel fair. The discount is applicable for travel period of 5 July 2019 to 21
Nov 2019.
17 participants across the Maldives tourism industry representing top tour operators, travel agents,
resorts and guesthouses of Maldives are exhibiting at the event. They are, AAA Hotels & Resorts,
Coral Island Maldives, Crown & Champa Resorts, Furaveri Island resort & Spa, Guest House Association
of Maldives, Lets Go Maldives Pvt Ltd, Liyela Retreat, Plumeria Hotels & Resorts, Reollo Travel Pvt
Ltd, Resort Life, Season Paradise, Seven Ocean Travel, Splendid Asia, Sun travel & Tours, Travel
Connection Maldives, UI Maldives and Villa Hotels & Resorts.
Targeting Malaysian Travel trade and consumers, VMTE is a step forward in the effort to market
Maldives as a top destination for travelers. The exhibition will allow travel and trade industry partners
to meet, establish contacts and negotiate offers while visitors will get access to holiday packages to
Maldives.
The event kicked off with a ribbon cutting ceremony by Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed (Managing Director of
MMPRC) and Ms Amanda Woo (Regional Head- Corporate of AirAsia) honored by her excellency Visam
Ali (Maldives Ambassador for Malaysia). This was followed by a press briefing. Whilst the first day of
the event is dedicated to the travel trade from 1130-1800hrs by invitation, the second and third days
will be open for consumers from 1000-2100hrs, targeting over 150,000-200-000 shoppers who attend
the Mall daily.
The whole arena will be showcased with the beauty and culture of Maldives. Complimenting this,
various cultural performances will be held throughout the exhibition. Visitors will have a chance to
taste authentic Maldivian flavors at the Visit Maldives stand. Other highlights of activities include
experiencing Maldives through virtual reality, with imagery of colorful underwater flora and fauna,
swim with whale sharks and the serene sunny beaches of the Maldives. Moreover, a raffle draw will
select winners for free holidays sponsored by Furaveri Island Resort & Spa, Paradise Island Resort &
Spa and Plumeria Maldives along with free air ticket, sponsored by AirAsia.
VMTE is a new avenue creating a great platform to open business opportunities for bringing the
Malaysian and South East Asian markets to the Maldives, which is a new area of focus for the Maldives
tourism. This initiative, together with numerous other activities planned for the rest of the year is
anticipated to bring about a significant boost in this important regional market.
By the end of 2018, 93,398 arrivals were recorded from South East Asia Market, a growth of 13.7%
compared to previous year.