Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Cooperation (MMPRC) has kicked off the first-ever Visit Maldives Travel Expo (VMTE) on Friday at the ground floor of IOI Mall-Putrajaya. The 3-day event is held in association with AirAsia, the only airline that flies directly from the Maldives to Kuala Lumpur 10 times weekly. The airline is currently offering a 20% discount on all flights to the Maldives booked during the travel fair.
The event kicked off with a ribbon cutting ceremony Managing Director of MMPRC, Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed and Regional Corporate head of AirAsia Ms. Amanda Woo, honored by her excellency Visam Ali, Maldives Ambassador for Malaysia.
The first day of the event is dedicated to travel and trade from 1130-1800hrs by invitation, whilst the second and the third day is open for consumers from 1000-2100hrs, targeting over 100,000 to 200,00 shoppers who visit the mall daily.
17 Well known tour operators, travel agents, guest houses & resorts of the Maldives are representing the Maldives at the exhibition. The participants are AAA Hotels & Resorts, Coral Island Maldives, Crown & Champa Resorts, Furaveri Island Resort & Spa, Guest House Association of Maldives, Lets Go Maldives Pvt Ltd, Liyela Retreat, Plumeria Hotels & Resorts, Reollo Travel Pvt Ltd, Resort Life, Season Paradise, Seven Ocean Travel, Splendid Asia, Sun Travel & Tours, Travel Connection Maldives, UI Maldives and Villa Hotels & Resorts.
VMTE is targeted for Malaysian travel & trade consumers and partners to meet, establish contacts and negotiate offers. This fair is also a step towards MMPRC’s efforts to market the Maldives as a top travel destination for travelers.
This exhibition is a great platform to open business opportunities for bringing  Malaysian and South East Asian Markets to the Maldives. This initiative together with numerous other initiatives planned for the rest of the year is anticipated to bring a boost in this important market.