The second edition of Maldives Getaways’ international travel trade show, the Travel Trade Maldives (TTM), is all set to commence on May 1 this year. The only platform to connect the travel trade community of the Maldives to a global network of travel professionals from resort properties and international trade agencies, the event aims to facilitate the tourism industry to reach the ultimate target of two million tourists with over $3.5 billion in receipts by the end of 2020.
Discussing the reasons behind conducting TTM, Fraath Mohamed, Chief Operating Officer, Maldives Getaways said, “The whole aspect behind TTM was to bring agents and resorts on one platform for them to network and create business for the industry. This has never been done in Maldives, and we are doing it for the first time. Last year, the event was a success through and through; we hope to get better results this year as well.”
On the aspect of positioning Maldives as a travel destination with regards to competitors like Seychelles and Mauritius that have similar locales, Mr. Mohamed said that the country’s tourism supply side is growing rapidly. “We do have similarities with Seychelles, but there are differences as well. The budget travel market is growing, and Maldives already has 600 guest houses, which we hope will grow up to 1000 by 2020. More resorts are coming in and are expected to open this year. As a marketing and PR firm, it is our responsibility to grow these markets collectively. Hence we are focusing on the resorts and guesthouses through this event.”
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The three-day event will have the Hotelier Summit which would see over 150 tourism professionals meet in one place to discuss the future of tourism in the Maldives. The Tourism Career Fair will see resorts, leading hotel chains and service providers in Maldives exhibit their products. The goal of the career fair is to give job seekers, students, employers, training institutions and government agencies a place to network.
The highlight of the event is the Maldives Dive Expo, a world-class platform for industry players to better engage with each other, connect with suppliers and dive operators along with the existing dive schools.
