Maldives receives applause at Riyadh Travel Fair
Ali Naafiz
Tourism industry representatives from Maldives have participated in the Riyadh Travel Fair, the largest exhibition of travel and tourism products in Saudi Arabia.
Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) along with representatives from 11 companies involved in the tourism sector are showcasing the Maldives at the fair, which is being held from April 7-10. They include resort operators and guesthouses.
“Maldives has been very well-received by the visitors,” an official from MATATO said.
Launched in 2009, Riyadh Travel Fair is considered a significant annual travel event where leading travel and tourism companies in Saudi Arabia and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) gather together with exhibitors representing tourism promotion authorities and companies from across the globe. Last year’s edition saw the participation of 246 exhibitors from 52 countries, and was attended by more than 25,000 visitors.
Middle East is one of the major emerging source markets for the Maldives tourism industry. Official figures show that 51,330 tourists visited the Maldives from Middle Eastern countries last year, a 22.3 percent increase over the 41,976 the year before.
That growth is set to continue this year as well, as Middle Eastern travellers that chose to travel to the Maldives for their holidays increased by 3.9 percent in the first two months of the year.
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