Business
Travel Trade Maldives 2018 kicks off with second Hotelier Summit
Travel Trade Maldives (TTM) 2018 kicked off Monday with a summit dedicated to tackle the most pressing issues in the world-renowned holiday destination.
Economic minister Mohamed Saeed inaugurated the six-day, multi-event trade fair organised by local PR firm Maldives Getaways. He attended the TTM Hotelier Summit 2018 held at Bandos Maldives resort as the chief guest, and spoke about the importance of such an event to the country.
Maldives Getaways CEO Dr Hussain Sunny Umar provided the opening remarks at the event, followed by the keynote address by Ahmed Nazeer, the Secretary General of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI).
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Ziyath, CEO of Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), commended Maldives Getaways on successfully organising the event on such a grand scale and highlighted the long-standing relationship between MTCC and Maldives Getaways.

Ibrahim Ziyath, CEO of Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), speaks at the TTM Hotelier Summit 2018. PHOTO/ MALDIVES GETAWAYS
Raufuddeen Saeed, Sub Inspector of Police, addressed the attendees on tourists safety in the Maldives. Dr. Marcus Lee, Chairman of Association of SME Business Owners (ICIF), spoke about turnaround strategies to increase Chinese visitors, which is a major market for the Maldives tourism industry.
The summit then progressed to four panel discussions, covering an array of topics ranging from growth of airport and airlines, government and national strategies to boost tourism, hotel revenue and automation, and sustainable tourism development.

A panel discussion held during TTM Hotelier Summit 2018. PHOTO/ MALDIVES GETAWAYS
Panelists included renowned figures such as Dr Ahmed Salih, Permanent Secretary at the tourism ministry; Mohamed Shahid, Managing Director of Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Corporation (MITDC); Lionnel Maugis, Chief Development Officer at Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL); Shubham Moondhara, Manager for Corporate Strategy and Business Development at Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA); Sheeraz Rasheed, Seaplane Manager at Maldivian; and Abdul Hameed Abdul Ghafoor, Managing Director of All H Maldives (ATSC Agents for AirAsia in Maldives).
Graeme D’Arcy Ryan, Hotel Area Manager at Booking.com; Najib Khan, CEO of Ooredoo Maldives; Anil Kumar Prasanna at Co-Founder and CEO of AxisRooms; Savi Godakanda, Senior Market Manager for Maldives at Expedia; Juergen Steinemetz, Chairman of eTurboNews; Feizal Samath, Correspondent at TTG Asia; and Daksh Sharma, Co-Founder and Managing Director of TravHQ Media also participated as panelists.

Industry stakeholders at TTM Hotelier Summit 2018. PHOTO/ MALDIVES GETAWAYS
Over 100 resorts and hotels from the Maldives have confirmed their participation at TTM 2018, while more than 250 international buyers and media representatives will attend the show to be held on Tuesday at the main convention centre of Dharubaaruge in capital Male. Premium Exhibitors include Adaaran Resorts, Angiri Resorts, Crown and Champa Resorts, Bandos Maldives, and Villa Hotels and Resorts.
The annual gala of TTM will take place on Wednesday evening at Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi resort.
As part of TTM 2018, the first ever Maldives Supplier Expo will be held from Friday to Saturday. More than 50 suppliers will have one-on-one prescheduled meetings with officials from procurement, accounts, finance, and F&B departments of more than 100 resorts.
TTM, which was launched last year by local PR firm Maldives Getaways, aims to facilitate the tourism industry of Maldives to reach the ultimate target of two million tourists per year with over USD 3.5 billion in receipts by the end of 2020.
Business
Feydhoo Hall opens at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives as new event space
Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has announced the opening of Feydhoo Hall, a landmark event venue at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives, redefining the possibilities for meetings, celebrations, and destination events in the Maldives.
Designed to bring scale, flexibility, and creativity to island gatherings, Feydhoo Hall represents a bold step forward in positioning the Maldives as a dynamic destination for conferences, weddings, and large-scale social occasions.
Feydhoo Hall offers a versatile event complex designed to accommodate a wide range of gatherings, from corporate meetings and conferences to weddings and social celebrations.

At its core is the 390 sqm Main Hall, capable of hosting:
- Up to 300 guests in theatre-style setup
- Up to 240 guests for dining and banquet-style events
- Up to 200 guests for cocktail-style receptions
- Up to 144 guests in cluster-round configuration
Enhancing the flexibility of the venue are additional dedicated spaces, including:
- A 110 sqm Veranda Terrace, ideal for welcome receptions, breakout sessions, and pre-event gatherings, accommodating up to 100 guests for cocktail-style events.
- A spacious 1,000 sqm Lawn Space, perfect for large-scale outdoor celebrations, destination weddings, and open-air events, accommodating up to 400 guests for cocktail receptions and up to 350 guests for dining setups.
- The 55 sqm Ekugai Meeting Room, designed for smaller meetings and executive sessions, accommodating up to 30 guests in theatre or dining setup and 24 guests in cluster-round format.
Together, these integrated spaces create a seamless indoor-outdoor event experience, allowing planners to design dynamic and personalised event journeys.
True to the dusitD2 brand’s lifestyle-driven philosophy, Feydhoo Hall introduces a fresh approach to meetings and events — where productivity meets creativity in an inspiring island setting.
The venue offers flexible meeting formats designed to suit different event needs, including:
- Half-Day Meeting Package (4 hours) — ideal for focused sessions, executive meetings, and creative workshops.
- Full-Day Meeting Package (8 hours) — designed for immersive conferences, extended workshops, and large-scale corporate gatherings.
These thoughtfully structured packages provide planners with the flexibility to create impactful and seamless experiences, whether hosting intimate strategy sessions or dynamic full-day events.

Located just seven minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives combines accessibility with vibrant lifestyle energy, offering event planners and guests a rare balance between convenience and tropical escape.
With the introduction of Feydhoo Hall, the resort strengthens its position as a versatile destination — not only for leisure travellers but also for international conferences, creative retreats, luxury weddings, and large-scale social celebrations seeking something refreshingly different in the Maldives.
Business
BBM expands retail presence with new Hulhumalé outlet
Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) opened a new wholesale store in Hulhumalé Phase 2 on Monday.
The outlet is located on the ground floor of Lot 20286, Nirolhu Magu, and is intended to improve access to BBM’s imported goods for residents of Hulhumalé Phase 2 and for businesses operating in the area.
According to the company, the opening forms part of its plan to expand services closer to customers in line with population growth in Hulhumalé.
With the opening of the new store, BBM’s full range of imported and distributed products will be available at the Hulhumalé Phase 2 location. These include consumer goods from international brands such as Lifebuoy, Vaseline and Unilever.
The store will also stock wholesale food products from brands including Daily, Cavin’s and Redman.
BBM has supplied goods to resorts, hotels and retail outlets across the Maldives for several years.
Action
Ataraxis Grand & Spa hosts integrated work-and-dive corporate retreat in Fuvahmulah
Ataraxis Grand & Spa recently hosted a week-long, closed corporate offsite in Fuvahmulah for a US-based artificial intelligence company, highlighting the island’s growing suitability for integrated work-and-experience retreats. The retreat brought a group of 36 international professionals to the property, which was reserved exclusively for the programme.
Designed as a private company offsite, the stay combined structured daily work sessions with guided diving and beginner-friendly surf experiences, creating a balanced format that blended focused collaboration with physical reset.

A notable component of the programme was dive training and certification. During the retreat, 17 participants completed their Open Water certification, while a further six undertook the Advanced Open Water course, with training and dives scheduled alongside work sessions as part of the integrated itinerary.
Throughout the week, participants worked on-site using dedicated shared spaces supported by reliable high-speed internet, allowing meetings, informal collaboration and scheduled activities to take place within a single, uninterrupted environment. This setup enabled teams to move seamlessly between work periods and organised ocean activities without leaving the property.

Fuvahmulah’s natural and operational advantages formed a key part of the retreat’s appeal. As one of the Maldives’ largest inhabited islands, it offers immediate access to pelagic dive sites, internationally recognised shark diving and surf breaks suitable for instruction, alongside the infrastructure required to support extended group stays.

The offsite reflects a growing preference among technology and knowledge-sector teams for small-scale retreats that prioritise concentrated work environments and team cohesion over traditional conference formats. Such programmes typically involve longer stays and higher per-capita spend, aligning with sustainable, quality-driven tourism models.
The retreat also demonstrates how locally operated properties such as Ataraxis Grand & Spa are supporting this shift by delivering unified environments where accommodation, workspaces, connectivity and curated experiences operate as a single programme rather than separate services.

As organisations continue to explore alternative formats for strategy sessions, team resets and creative offsites, Ataraxis Grand & Spa’s experience positions Fuvahmulah as an increasingly viable destination for integrated corporate retreats.
Ataraxis Grand & Spa offers work-and-dive retreat programmes in Fuvahmulah that combine accommodation, dedicated workspaces, high-speed connectivity and organised diving and surfing.

Further information on retreat formats and dive-inclusive stays is available via the Ataraxis Grand & Spa website.
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