TTM to host over 3,000 meetings with $1 billion plus in business
Ali Naafiz
Travel Trade Maldives (TTM), the first ever international travel trade show of Maldives, will witness more than 3,000 prescheduled meetings discussing business of over USD 1 billion, organisers have announced.
In a statement, local PR firm Maldives Getaways, which is organising the annual fair, said over 2,000 meetings have already been scheduled. That number is expected to cross the 3,000 mark by the end of this month, it added.
“Using the handy Connect software, registered users can preschedule face-to- face meetings with the most powerful decision makers in the industry,” the statement read.
Set to be held at the main convention centre in capital Male Dharubaaruge from July 12-13, TTM will connect Maldivian tourism industry stakeholders with a global network of travel agents. Adaaran Resorts, Universal Resorts, Crown and Champa Resorts, Bandos Maldives, and Villa Hotels and Resorts have signed up as premium exhibitors.
According to Maldives Getaways, all hoteliers and agents have been given the ability to set prescheduled meetings of 15 minutes totalling 40 meetings in the span of two days. Meetings are expected to go on from 11 am to 6 pm on July 12, and 9 am to 6 pm on the next day with snack breaks in between, it said.
“TTM would be the first of its kind to be held in the Maldives aimed as a platform where stakeholders of the industry would meet in one place to finalise deals that would define the tourism industry of Maldives,” the statement read.
Over 100 professionals representing travel agents, tour operators, industry experts and travel media have confirmed their attendance, while more than 100 resorts and hotels have confirmed their participation as exhibitors at TTM.
Bank of Maldives (BML) has signed up as the platinum partner, making the country’s largest bank the title sponsor of “BML Hotelier Summit Maldives 2017”, a special forum within TTM where leading hotel owners and operators will discuss ways to address the challenges faced by the industry.
Local telecom giant Dhiraagu, and state run Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) and State Trade Organisation (STO) have signed up as gold partners. Silver partners include leading boat builder Al Shaali Marine Maldives, Singapore-based interior designer and supplier OneStop, India’s Mohan Mutha Exports, M7 Print, Copier Plus, Event Maldives, and state run Maldives Gas and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).
Meanwhile, world’s leading budget airline AirAsia, Maldives flagship carrier Maldivian and world’s largest seaplane operator Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) have been chosen as airline partners of TTM, while several local and international travel media, including Maldives Insider, serve as media partners.
In addition to the Hotelier Summit, TTM will host Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Academy for the first time in Maldives. TTM gala night, to be held at Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi resort, will host Maldives Travel Awards: People’s Edition which recognises 10 outstanding individuals from the hospitality industry.
A tourism career fair will also be held as part of TTM, providing job seekers, students, employers, training institutions and government agencies an opportunity to network. The career fair will be exhibited by resorts, liveaboards, leading hotel chains and service providers in the tourism industry.
Maldives recorded 1.2 million tourist arrivals in 2016 with a total of receipts around USD 2.5 billion. With the rapid changes in global travel markets, Maldives continues to strengthen its foothold as one of the leading tourist destinations in the world. While tourism still remains the leading economic industry in the country by far, innovative new approaches in marketing are required to ensure the sector remains at the top.
TTM aims to facilitate the tourism industry of Maldives to reach the ultimate target of two million tourists with over USD 3.5 billion in receipts by the end of 2020.
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