BTN interview: Thoyyib Mohamed, managing director, Maldives Advertising and marketing & PR Company | Focus

With the Maldives having claimed numerous high titles on the World Journey Awards, Breaking Journey Information right here catches up with tourism chief, Thoyyib Mohamed, to find how the trophies will assist the restoration from Covid-19

Breaking Journey Information: Maldives has been recognised with the highest prize of World’s Main Vacation spot on the World Journey Awards this yr, alongside trophies for Indian Ocean’s Main Seaside Vacation spot, Indian Ocean’s Main Cruise Vacation spot and Indian Ocean’s Main Dive Vacation spot. How does it really feel to have received?

Thoyyib Mohamed: We’re extraordinarily proud and completely satisfied to have received these awards!

It seems like our advertising and marketing efforts and teamwork have paid off tremendously.

Along with the federal government, stakeholders and journey and tourism business, we’ve at all times strived to attain excellence, and that is what we’ve achieved proper now.

We’re the results of our onerous work and resilience.

Even throughout these unprecedented occasions, we’ve not stopped our work in attempting to make it possible for Maldives stays on the highest of probably the most most well-liked vacationer locations on the earth.

These awards are a testomony to the love the world has for Maldives and we want to categorical our honest gratitude to everybody who has made it doable for us to have come this far.

BTN: How helpful are the World Journey Awards trophies in relation to selling the Maldives to a worldwide tourism market?

TM: World Journey Awards trophies are a testomony to the love the world has for us, and likewise the onerous work and resilience we’ve put into the advertising and marketing efforts through the years, particularly this yr.

That is helpful for us as a result of it would spotlight the truth that Maldives stays protected for travellers and is likely one of the most desired locations on the earth.

It’s certain to offer assurance to the worldwide tourism market that Maldives is certainly a must-visit vacation spot and that our companies are impeccable, the luxurious and the experiences we provide is boundless, and we feature a pure magnificence like no different.

We are going to most positively be utilizing the receival of this award in our future advertising and marketing campaigns and endeavours to make travellers dream of visiting the vacation spot.

BTN: Having reopened to worldwide vacationers earlier this yr, how has the Maldives been recovering from the impression of the Covid-19 pandemic?

TM: The unfold of Covid-19 was broadly unfold within the nice Male’ area solely.

Our small island nation’s distinctive geographical options along with stringent measures in place are our largest benefits in combating the unfold of Covid-19.

One of many first steps taken to curb the unfold of the virus was closing our borders on March 27th.

Nevertheless, after 4 months of border closure, Maldives as soon as once more reopened the borders to worldwide vacationers on July 15th.

Security is the locations high precedence and already a powerful 94 per cent of resorts within the Maldives have reopened for enterprise, and several other accommodations, visitor homes and liveaboards have resumed operation as nicely, all according to the great Covid-19 protected tourism tips and hygiene certification programme issued by the Maldivian ministry of tourism in June.

All resorts, visitor homes and accommodations located within the island nation are required to take protecting measures, guaranteeing the protection of vacationers and workers working within the business.

With these measures in place we at the moment are prepared and searching ahead to welcoming again vacationers to our lovely nation.

Because the reopening of the border, we’ve been witnessing a gradual enhance within the variety of vacationer arrivals every passing month.

Vacationers from completely different components of the world are visiting Maldives to rediscover the great thing about this protected haven.

Based on the most recent statistics by Maldives Immigration, a complete of 56,541 vacationers arrived after reopening of the borders.

Majority of the vacationers are from Russia and UAE, adopted by the USA and UK.

Different high arrival international locations embody Spain, Brazil, Germany, France, India, and Egypt.

As touring to Maldives doesn’t require quarantine or self-isolation of 14 days, it makes journey simply accessible.

With the benefit of journey restrictions and the extension of the damaging PCR check for Covid-19 from 72 hours to 96 hours previous to arrival, we’re hopeful that there will probably be an extra enhance in vacationer arrivals.

The introduction of cut up keep can also be an added incentive for vacationers to go to completely different vacationer institutions with prior approval as per the rules by the Ministry of Tourism.

Although it would take time, we’ll hopefully attain a beneficial stage of vacationer arrivals by the top of the yr.

BTN: What actions could be anticipated from the Maldives Advertising and marketing & PR Company as we transfer into 2021 to make sure the market is absolutely recovered subsequent yr?

TM: With the exceptional milestone reached in 2019, we began off this yr with excessive hopes however as a result of Covid-19 pandemic, our advertising and marketing plans had been disrupted and we needed to provide you with new ways and shift to digital platforms to advertise the vacation spot.

Regardless of the various challenges, we’ve been working onerous to make sure that we’re a protected haven for travellers, and we’re on a quick restoration path.

Now we have carried out quite a few networking conferences between business companions like airways, tour operators, brokers and on-line journey brokers to discover what may very well be completed collectively within the yr forward.

Now we have carried out over 356 completely different advertising and marketing actions in 22 international markets. 260 actions had been carried out throughout this pandemic; a few of these embody festivals, webinars, FAM journeys, on-line roadshows, out of doors campaigns, digital media campaigns and extra.

We estimate over 18 carriers to fly into Maldives by the top of November with extra to comply with within the coming months and by 2021.

We’re strategically targeted on focusing on all international locations which have opened borders and are capable of fly.

On this regard, we’ve additionally developed an air journey bubble with India in addition to the UK which allows extra connectivity between the 2 international locations.

Now we have additionally began a worldwide media marketing campaign specializing in ten key markets to advertise the vacation spot on numerous on-line and print media platforms, concurrently.

Our major intention is to maintain travellers dreaming of the vacation spot and preserve our vacation spot presence seen, which is able to finally enhance travellers by subsequent yr.

Hopefully, we will attain pre Covid-19 numbers quickly.

Totally different concepts had been gathered throughout this unprecedented time and we’re gearing as much as face subsequent yr to discover new markets and try to provide you with attention-grabbing advertising and marketing ways to make this lovely Maldives extra seen for the potential travellers.

We see large development for the upcoming yr, and we consider we will attain the 2019 numbers.

We’re assured that with our present advertising and marketing efforts and full help from the federal government, stakeholders and everybody within the tourism business, we will see a big development in vacationer arrivals.

Our hope is to extend our efforts day-to-day and proceed to work diligently to make sure that the market is absolutely recovered subsequent yr. Our advertising and marketing actions are fairly profitable, and we’ve acquired excessive help from our PR businesses from key markets as nicely.

We’re very grateful for his or her help and cooperation in these attempting occasions as nicely.

Our intention is to work along with everybody to make sure full restoration!

Extra Data

Maldives Advertising and marketing & Public Relations Company is the federal government physique mandated with the promotion of the nation as a vacationer vacation spot.

The capabilities of the physique embody the total spectrum of promoting and public relations actions together with analysis, surveys, grasp plans, campaigns, promoting and publicity via conventional media, public relations corporations in different international locations and the evolving new media.

Discover out extra on the official web site.




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