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Maldives Eyeing 2 Million Tourists In 2020

The year 2019 was a good year for Maldives tourism. Maldives received its target of 1.5 million tourist arrivals in 2019 well ahead in November with the total year end arrivals surpassing 1.7 million. The robust growth has come driven by India that jumped several places in source market ranking to second position, contributing almost 10 per cent in visitor share, from under 6 per cent the previous year. Speaking on the sidelines of the recently concluded SATTE 2020, Fathimath Raheel, Director – Procurement, Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC), informed, “We have reached 1.7 million visitors at the end of 2019 which is a great achievement. The other good news is that India has taken the second position in visitor numbers. Last year, we received over 166,000 Indian travelers, reflecting a growth of almost 90 per cent over 2018.” Maldives witnessed 8 per cent growth from India in 2018. “India is very important source market. India is very close to the Maldives in terms of connectivity. We had issue in the past with regard to connectivity but today we have lots of budget airlines now flying and we have good connection through SriLankan Airlines also. We have seen a lot of growth due to enhanced connectivity,” Raheel said. Maldives has particularly found favours from segments like honeymooners, family as well as millennial. Honeymooners are visiting the island nation in much larger numbers now. Social and digital media platforms will be key to Maldives tourism outreach in the Indian market in 2020 as well as elsewhere. “We have done lot of destination marketing and promotion and now we are planning to do more. For 2020, we are trying to lay more focus on social and digital media promotion. People have become so dependent on technology and almost everyone has mobile phone. Besides, we are planning joint promotions with the tour operators as well,” Raheel said, Maldives is now eying the 2 million visitors in 2020. “We are hoping to mark 2 million arrivals in 2020 and we hope that India will grow more. We are talking to the airlines to increase air connectivity from other major Indian cities as well and not only from Delhi and Mumbai,” she said. China and India are now Maldives top two tourism source markets. Other key source markets are Germany, Italy, the UK, France, Russia, Japan, among others. Addressing the perception about Maldives being an expensive destination, Raheel said, “There is this perception that Maldives is an expensive destination, but we want to highlight the fact that Maldives is affordable to everyone. There is something for everyone, from luxury resorts and villas to affordable accommodation in our guest houses.” Maldives is growing its guest houses offerings at islands inhabited by the locals. These well-equipped guest houses are targeted at providing more affordable accommodation to tourists and options to stay amidst the Maldivians. “You can do everything that you do staying at a resort, but at a more affordable price points,” she points. Maldives is continuing to add new products and attraction in order to cater to the increasing arrivals. Several international brands like Hard Rock Café, Saii Lagoon Maldives, part of Crossroads Maldives integrated resort project with shopping, hotels and resorts etc., have opened doors in recent times and are further expanding their offerings to international tourists.

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Dubai recognised as short haul destination of choice for Indian visitors at Satte 2020

Dubai, UAE: Dubai has been awarded the ‘Best Foreign Destination – Short Haul’ at the 27th edition of South Asia’s largest travel and tourism exhibition, SATTE 2020. Recognising the success of innovative marketing initiatives driven by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), campaigns such as ‘School Break’, ‘Monsoon Season’ and ‘Diwali’ have accelerated the emirate’s desirability as the ideal closer-to-home destination for Indian tourists. The prestigious accolade was presented at a special ceremony to the emirate’s delegation during the event. The Department showcased its support for the event for the 17th year, further reinforcing Dubai’s deep and continued commitment to its top source market. During the show, the Department highlighted citywide developments, discussed international marketing partnerships and explored the success of recent segment-specific campaigns that continued to yield tangible results, showcasing the city’s ability to reinvent itself and remain ‘top-of mind’ to both new and repeat audiences from across India’s smaller and larger cities. The delegation of 19 Dubai-based partners, including a team from Expo 2020 Dubai, explored networking opportunities with various Indian business partners and stakeholders, with a focus on driving repeat visitation and further enhancing the visitor experience. Attendees were also briefed on the Dubai Expert programme, a specialised training course designed to empower travel agents to deliver personalised experiences to Indian visitors. Commenting on the award win and Dubai Tourism’s presence at the event, Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “India has long been one of Dubai’s most important source markets, with the city’s close proximity proving to be a key draw for Indian visitors eager for a short-haul holiday. The market once again drew the highest visitation in 2019 with nearly two million visitors, reaffirming the emirate’s unmatched appeal to leisure travellers and families across a variety of Indian cities. As we ramp up efforts to further solidify the global competitiveness of Dubai to make it the #1 most visited, preferred and revisited global city, strategic events such as SATTE are integral in enabling us to connect with our stakeholders in India, to explore opportunities for enhanced collaboration. In the run up to Expo 2020 Dubai and beyond, we will continue to invest deeply in seasonal messaging, segment-specific campaigns, industry engagements and strategic destination partnerships to continue leveraging the growing tourism momentum from India.” The Department’s Dubai-based partners present at the Dubai stand included: Expo 2020, EMAAR Entertainment and Hospitality Group, DXB Entertainment, La Perle by Dragone, Meraas Holdings, Majid Al Futtaim – Leisure & Entertainment, Jumeirah Group, Palazzo Versace Dubai, Caesar’s Palace, Atlantis The Palm, Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Bur Dubai, Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, Occidental Hotel Dubai Production City, Desert Adventures Tourism, Kesavi Travel & Tourism, Arabian Heritage Tourism, Royal Gulf Tourism and Khamas Hospitality. The event also facilitated several strategic meetings with trade partners, travel agents, outbound and inbound tour operators, MICE operators and digital marketing companies.

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India and Maldives sign four MoUs to establish Addu Tourism Zone

India and Maldives signed five memorandum of understanding (MoUs) on February 02, 2020. The objective of this MoU is to establish the Addu tourism zone on the five islands of Addu Atoll in the Maldives. It will cost twenty-four million ninety thousand dollars. High Commissioner of India Sunjay Sudhir, Addu City Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid signed this agreement. Apart from this, sixth MoU was signed to establish a water bottling plant in Hoarafushi. Why Addu Tourism Zone? • Addu is one of the most beautiful sites of Maldives’26 coral atolls. It comprises more than two dozens of Maldives’ 1192 islands. Addu is also an important site for tourism because it represents the southernmost point of South Asia. About 10% of actual Maldives residents are living here with unique culture and dialect. • India is expanding its tourism and infrastructure development limits through off-shore development works. Addu Tourism Zone will increase India’s capacity for infrastructure building. Addu Tourism Zone will bring national and international tourists and diplomats that will boost India’s and Maldives’ tourism sector. • Indian citizens are second among people coming to the Maldives to visit from all over the world. According to the official figures released by Maldives Tourism Minister Ali Waheed, 82,140 Indian tourists went to visit the Maldives in the first six months of 2019. India-Maldives relations India-Maldives relations refer to a long time bilateral relations between both countries. This relationship has been friendly and close in strategic, economic and military cooperation. Almost all the Prime Ministers of India have visited Maldives during their tenure. India and Maldives began bilateral relations soon after the independence of Maldives from British rule in 1965. India was one of the first countries to recognize the Maldives as an independent nation. India established its diplomatic mission in Male in 1972, the capital of Maldives.

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Mauritius to welcome prestigious polo tournament this summer

Mauritius is set to host a prestigious polo match later in the year following the signing of a new partnership. The news was announced at the annual Snow Polo World Cup, hosted each year in St. Moritz. Arvind Bundhun, chief executive of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, made the announcement during a gala dinner hosted at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel. He was welcomed to the stage by Reto Gaudenzi, chief executive of St. Moritz Snow Polo, and joined by Sanjiv Ramdanee, chief executive of Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa. St Moritz hosts the only polo tournament on snow in the world. More than 15,000 spectators were on hand to watch the action. Polo enthusiasts from around the world gathered for an outstanding weekend of polo showcasing a variety of events. These included polo clinics taught by former England team champion and Royal Salute World Polo ambassador, Malcolm Borwick, VIP luncheons on the frozen lake and endless flutes of Perrier-Jouët champagne. More Information The date and host of the proposed Mauritian polo tournament will be revealed in the coming months. Maradiva Villas Resort – considered the World’s Leading Luxury Villa Beach Resort - is expected to be closely involved. Mauritius itself was recognised as the World’s Most Romantic Destination, while also claiming the title of Indian Ocean’s Leading Tourist Board.

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Louvre shuts; European tourism industry on the brink as coronavirus spreads to more than 60 countries

PARIS — Coronavirus cases surged in Italy, and France closed the world-famous Louvre Museum on Sunday as the deadly outbreak that began in China sent fear rising across Western Europe, threatening its tourism industry. The number of countries hit by the virus climbed past 60, and the death toll worldwide reached at least 3,000. New fronts in the battle opened rapidly over the weekend, deepening the sense of crisis that has already sent financial markets plummeting, emptied the streets in many cities and rewritten the routines of millions of people. More than 88,000 around the globe have been infected, with the virus popping up on every continent but Antarctica. Australia and Thailand reported their first deaths Sunday, while the Dominican Republic and the Czech Republic recorded their first infections. Italian authorities announced that the number of people infected in the country soared 50% to 1,694 in just 24 hours, and five more had died, bringing the death toll there to 34. France raised its number of reported cases to 130, an increase of 30 from the day before, and said it has seen two deaths. The U.S. government advised Americans against traveling to the two northern Italian regions hit hardest, among them Lombardy, which includes Milan. Major American airlines began suspending flights to Milan. American Airlines AAL, -7.52% announced Sunday it will waive fees for changing all flights over the next two weeks. The travel restrictions against Italy and the rising alarm in France could deal a heavy blow to the countries’ tourism industries. Spring, especially Easter, is a hugely popular time for schoolchildren to visit France and Italy. “We had already registered a slowdown of Americans coming to Italy in recent days,” Bernabo Bocca, president of Italy’s hotel association, said in a statement Saturday. “Now, the final blow has arrived.” Tourism accounts for 13% of the economy in Italy, with its world-class art museums, archaeological sites and architectural treasures. More than 5.6 million Americans visit Italy every year, representing 9% of foreign tourists. Iran, Iraq and South Korea, among other places, also saw the number of infections rise. Cases in the U.S. climbed to at least 74 with the first death in the United States reported on Saturday — a man in his 50s in Washington state who had underlying health problems but hadn’t traveled to any affected areas. Panic-buying of daily necessities emerged in Japan, where professional baseball teams have played spring-training games in deserted stadiums. Tourist attractions across Asia, Europe and the Mideast were deserted. Islam’s holiest sites have been closed to foreign pilgrims. And governments have closed schools and banned big gatherings. The United Nations said Sunday it is releasing $15 million from an emergency fund to help countries with fragile health systems contain the virus. “We must act now to stop this virus from putting more lives at risk,” U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said. The aid “has the potential to save the lives of millions of vulnerable people.” In France, the archbishop of Paris told parish priests to put the Communion bread in worshippers’ hands, not in their mouths. In South Carolina, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston asked its parishioners to not drink from the Communion cup or shake hands during the sign of peace. French officials also advised people to forgo the customary kisses on the cheek upon greeting others. The Louvre, home of the “Mona Lisa” and other priceless artworks, closed after workers expressed fear of being contaminated by the stream of visitors from around the world. Staffers were also concerned about museum workers from Italy who had come to the Louvre to collect works by Leonardo da Vinci that were loaned for an exhibition. The Louvre, the world’s most popular museum, received 9.6 million visitors last year, almost three-quarters of them from abroad. “We are very worried because we have visitors from everywhere,” said Andre Sacristin, a Louvre employee and union representative. “The risk is very, very, very great.” While there are no known infections among the museum’s 2,300 workers, “it’s only a question of time,” he said. The shutdown followed a government decision Saturday to ban indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people. Among the frustrated visitors was Charles Lim from Singapore. He and his wife, Jeanette, chose Paris to celebrate their first wedding anniversary and bought tickets in advance for the Louvre. “We waited for about three hours before giving up,” he said. “It was incredibly disappointing.” China, where the outbreak began two months ago, on Sunday reported a slight uptick in new cases over the past 24 hours to 573, the first time in five days that the number exceeded 500. They remain almost entirely confined to the hardest-hit province of Hubei and its capital, Wuhan. South Korea reported 210 additional cases and two more deaths, raising its totals to 3,736 cases and 20 fatalities. South Korea has the second-largest number of infections outside China, with most of the cases in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby areas. South Korea’s president used a speech marking the 101st anniversary of an anti-Japanese independence uprising to call for national unity to overcome the crisis. Iran’s death toll climbed to 54 as the number of confirmed cases jumped overnight by more than half, to 978. The new figures represent 11 more deaths than reported on Saturday. Around the world, many cases of the virus have been relatively mild, and some of those infected apparently show no symptoms at all.

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Extra 3m tourists forecast to visit the UAE during Expo 2020 Dubai

An additional three million international visitors are expected to visit the UAE during Expo 2020, with arrivals from India, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, UK and Pakistan driving this influx, according to new research. Latest data released ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2020, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre in April, predicts the number of Indian visitors travelling to the UAE will increase by 770,000 between 2020 and 2021. The research from Colliers International also said that arrivals from Saudi Arabia will increase 240,000, Philippines and UK both 150,000 and Pakistan 140,000, during the same time period. Looking to acquire their share of these high-growth markets at ATM 2020, will be the tourism boards from the UAE’s seven emirates with major exhibits from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain as well as other UAE exhibitors including Emirates, Emaar Hospitality Group and Abu Dhabi Airports. Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), said: "Not only will Expo 2020 increase international arrivals to the UAE and showcase the country as a major global tourism hub – it has also provided the country with the opportunity to expand its world-class hospitality offerings; upgrade its airports and transport infrastructure; and develop an expansive array or new retail, leisure and entertainment facilities as well as diversifying its key source markets by reaching out to new and emerging markets.” She added that while the Middle East and Africa remains the overall top source market for the UAE but there appears to be a changing dynamic with the Asia Pacific market set to become the largest source of arrivals in the UAE. “The introduction of a new multi-entry five-year tourist visa will not only drive more frequent travel to the country and longer stays but it will also allow for a whole host of new airline routes, making the country more accessible to a host of first time tourists from emerging markets – providing a boost to overall tourist spend and further stimulating the UAE’s GDP impact,” Curtis said. According to the latest data from STR, Dubai had more than 120,000 hotel rooms as of this month, with a goal of completing 160,000 hotel rooms by October to meet the anticipated demand generated by Expo 2020. Despite average occupancy rates reaching 73 percent - one of the highest in the world – during the first nine months of 2019, Dubai Tourism reported a decline in revenue per available room (RevPAR) from AED337 in 2018 to AED295 in 2019, primarily driven by softening room rates which dropped from AED451 in 2018 to AED400 in 2019 amid increased competition from new hotel supply. "As we look ahead to the next 12 months, the outlook for the hospitality sector in the UAE is positive, with demand in the market strong – backed by an increasing number of arrivals from key and emerging markets as a result of Expo 2020 which is now a mere few months away and the imminent introduction of a new tourist visa," said Curtis.

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