This year's World Travel Market (WTM) in London, United Kingdom (UK) has been a significant triumph for the Maldives, poised to act as a major catalyst for attracting more tourists to the island nation, according to the Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim.
In a video message delivered on the final day of the prestigious exhibition, Minister Thoriq expressed his optimism, stating that the event's success will undoubtedly translate into increased visitor numbers.
The Maldives' presence at WTM, one of the world's largest tourism expos, was substantial, featuring a delegation of 160 representing 70 different businesses from the island nation's vibrant tourism industry. The expansive 650 square-metre Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) stand, a stunning embodiment of the Maldives' natural allure and world-class hospitality, served as a hub for numerous productive meetings and interactions.
Minister Thoriq, who personally attended the exhibition, emphasised the critical importance of the UK market, noting its sustained growth as a testament to the strong relationship Maldivian tourism shares with British travelers.
"This year's WTM was a success and a large number of people visited the Maldives stand, he said adding that the exhibition saw over 4,000 visitors to the stall, a figure that bodes well for future efforts to increase travel to the Maldives from the European region.
Key to this success, according to Minister Thoriq, were the numerous high-level meetings conducted during WTM.
"We met with the tourism ministers of Turkiye and Greece to discuss increasing tourist arrivals from those countries," he revealed.
Significant discussions also took place with major airlines, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, focusing on enhancing flight connectivity to the Maldives and further promoting the destination.
The Minister affirmed that the government's dedicated efforts to promote tourism are yielding tangible results, elevating the industry to new heights and ensuring its benefits are widely shared.
The UK currently stands as the Maldives' third-largest source market for tourists, with 159,615 visitors recorded as of October this year, marking an impressive 16 percent increase over the same period last year.