Maldives has concluded it’s participation in this year’s ITB Berlin. Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) represented Maldives in the trade fair in a major international marketing push, as the island nation built momentum towards what it has branded “Visit Maldives Year 2027”.
Sixty-seven co-exhibitors represented by 157 individuals showcased their products under the Maldives banner this year, signalling what officials described as strong industry alignment and a unified national presence.
The trade fair hosted many notable events and activities in the sidelines. For Maldives, the most notable of these was the agreement signed by Ibrahim Shiuree, Managing Director of Visit Maldives (VMC), and Mario Tobias, chief executive of Messe Berlin, at the Maldives’ exhibition stand to finalise Maldives as the host nation for next year’s rendition of ITB Berlin.
The Maldivian Night hosted at the Ritz Carlton Berlin was another notable event. In the event, many noteworthy media personal and industry stakeholder participated and key information was provided on the Maldives’ push to expand its reach in the global tourism sector. Maldives has prepared a 504sqft stand for this year’s event. This is by far the largest stand that Maldives has presented at ITB Berlin. VMC noted that the double-decked stand designed to represent a Safari vessel allowed visitors to experience ocean-based travel firsthand.
In addition to this, the B2B meetings held at the stand were a remarkable success. VMC noted that the setup that enabled meetings to be held on both decks of the stand was well received by visitors and boosted Maldives’ image and brand power among industry stakeholders.
Speaking to PSM News at the conclusion of the fair, VMC’s Managing Director Shiuree said that despite the challenges faced this year, the event was a success.
First inaugurated in 1966, ITB Berlin is now the largest trade fair of its kind. The three-day travel trade exhibition, which took place from 3 to 5 March at Messe Berlin, was for Maldives one of the key platforms to market itself as the globally renowned tourism destination, that it has become.