Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has successfully secured the title of World’s Leading Tourist Board 2022 at the 29th World Travel Awards.
The title was awarded to MMPRC at the ceremony held at Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Oman, on Friday.
MMPRC competed against 28 other tourist boards for this prestigious title.
This is the first time in Maldives’ history that MMPRC achieved the prestigious title of World’s Leading Tourism Board, a shining affirmation of the hard work and dedication of the company over the past year in continuing to market and maintain the Maldives in the top tier of the global tourism industry.
The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of MMPRC, Thoyyib Mohamed, accepted the award on behalf of the company.
Speaking at the ceremony, Thoyyib stated winning the award feels like an affirmation of the hard work of the company's team over these past few years, pushing through the toughest global crises of recent times.
This year has been one of the most interesting years for global tourism. Most countries have now re-opened their borders for international travel following the Covid-19 pandemic, and have accordingly initiated extensive campaigns to revive tourism in their respective countries.
MMPRC continued their efforts with no hesitation, even through the difficulties posed due to the Russia-Ukraine war putting a damper on some of the country's top and emerging markets. They adapted swiftly, shifting their attention to other potential top sources, such as the Middle Eastern, Nordic, and Indian markets.
MMPRC has already conducted a total of 149 activities in 22 global markets over the first three quarters of 2022, targeting the travel trade and consumers alike, with a reach of over 8.6 billion.
One of the key focuses of their strategies was to maintain brand visibility in the global markets.
In addition to promoting the Maldives as a premier luxury destination with various affordable options and diverse experiences, their messaging was clearly communicated to build confidence in the destination. They augmented this with theirr Tourism Golden Jubilee messaging, to veer visitors towards the celebratory mood in the Maldives tourism industry this year, to great success.
The success of MMPRC'c marketing efforts is reflected in the arrival figures, as Maldives close in on achieving 2022’s target of welcoming 1.6 million visitors. So far the country has welcomed more than 1.3 million tourists.
Since the beginning of this year, MMPRC aligned their marketing campaigns towards promoting experiential tourism, based on emerging travel trends, coinciding with the introduction of Homestay tourism in the Maldives.
They also launched a series of books titled ‘Tales of Maldives’ to share some of the unique stories and folklore native to the Maldives, as part of their effort to branch out and expand the Maldivian tourism segments, such as cultural and experiential tourism.
Additionally, MMPRC concentrated on marketing initiatives that promote the natural beauty of the Maldives along with events to network with industry partners and get their feedback on the best ways to promote the Maldives further as a destination with consistent messaging, to work towards the mutual goal of maintaining the Maldives as a leading destination.
The Tourism Marketeers Evening 2022 that MMPRC hosted late this year is one of the many joint activities that the company conduct with industry stakeholders in order to reach the common goals.
The Maldives also secured the preeminent award for a tourism destination at the WTA, securing the title of World’s Leading Destination for the third year in a row.
