Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed has left for the World Tourism Conference in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

Minister Waheed is joining the conference on the invitation of the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

World Tourism Conference 2019 will take place at the Shangri-La Hotel on 26 - 28 August and will be inaugurated by Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamed.

This year’s theme is “Beyond Tourism – Beyond Expectation” and will be on creating favorable circumstances for new business opportunities with advancements in digital technology.

Minister Waheed is scheduled to give a speech on “Future of Tourism – New Sources of Growth” based on Maldives’ plan to develop its tourism industry. He will also be meeting with Malaysia’s tourism minister and the President of Limkokwing University.

Malaysia contributed the second most tourist arrivals to Maldives from the South East Asian region this year, with over 22,000 arrivals.