Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has successfully concluded the tourism fair ITB China 2023, as the official Island Travel Partner.
The fair took place from 12 - 14 September 2023 at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, Shanghai.
This year, 64 representatives from 33 companies collaborated with MMPRC to promote the Maldives within the Chinese market at ITB China 2023.
This significant event was the first B2B trade fair held in China since the onset of the pandemic three years prior, and signifies MMPRC's first in-person participation in a physical tourism event in China following the reopening of global borders.
ITB China 2023 was one of the largest B2B exclusive trade shows focused on the Chinese travel Market. The event served as a wide-ranging professional platform with industry specialists from all over the world and provides various networking events to connect with potential agents and buyers from several key source markets.
The Visit Maldives stand was curated to provide an authentic glimpse of the Sunny Side of Life for the attendees. Attendees were shown a dynamic array of activities such as meetings with the Maldivian travel trade.
Unique experiences of the destination took center stage with activities at the stand including the creation of personalized calligraphy bookmarks, and a photo backdrop featuring a libaas and feyli props offered attendees a chance for a Maldivian-style snapshot to take back home.
Additionally MMPRC conducted promotion of Visit Maldives' Weibo and WeChat social media handles to strengthen the brand presence in the market.
The stand also provided press packs, detailing Visit Maldives and co-exhibitor information, alongside promotional materials. A special raffle was conducted on the last day where two lucky winners won free holidays to the Maldives, sponsored by The Standard, Huruvalhi Maldives and Kihaa Maldives respectively.
Visit Maldives, as the Island Travel Partner, received a special opportunity to host a Networking Lunch, an exclusive gathering of 100 hosted buyers, meticulously curated by the ITB China organizers. The event provided opportunities for significant networking sessions and MMPRC engaged in insightful discussions.
MMPRC also promoted the Maldives in the presentation hub, accommodating up to 80 potential buyers, and conducted an enticing destination presentation of the Maldives and its offers.
China has long remained one of the most significant markets to the Maldives tourism industry. Direct flights from China to the Maldives resumed on 18th January 2023, following a 3-year hiatus due to border closures with the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Despite border closures. As of September 5, 2023, there have been a total of 123,824 arrivals from China, making it the third-largest source market for the Maldives. The arrival numbers are steadily rising, nearing pre-pandemic levels.
Even during border closures, MMPRC diligently conducted various marketing activities in the Chinese market to maintain the Maldives' appeal as the top destination to visit once borders reopen. The Maldives has already achieved a significant milestone by surpassing one million tourist arrivals this year, marking an incredible success for the tourism sector. The target set for this year is 1.8 million tourists.
