Business
Global travel writers, industry professionals come together to discuss Maldives tourism promotion
Travel bloggers and social media influencers from around the world gathered together with professionals from the Maldives tourism industry on Sunday to discuss ways to use new media technologies in promoting the Maldives as a tourist destination.
The first ever global travel writers’ conference in the Maldives kicked off Sunday morning at Bandos Maldives with a ceremony attended by tourism minister Moosa Zameer and top officials from relevant government agencies.
Following the inauguration ceremony, the World Travel Writers’ Conference officially began with a keynote speech by New Zealand-born travel blogger Elizabeth Carlson on sharing experiences and the art of storytelling. In her speech, Elizabeth spoke on the importance of storytelling, and highlighted how it is related to content marketing in the present day.

Elizabeth delivers her keynote speech. PHOTO/ MALDIVES TV
It was followed by a keynote speech by Dr Sunny Umar, COO at local PR agency Maldives Getaways, on the significance of cultural tourism to the archeological history of the Maldives.
“Maldives is commonly known as a honeymoon or family destination, but the country should be promoted for its history, which is rich and full of intrigue. History is a strong selling point for travel enthusiasts, and that Maldives has a lot to offer history wise,” he said.

Dr Sunny Umar delivers his keynote speech. PHOTO/ MALDIVES TV
The two keynote speeches were followed by the first panel discussion, on the topic of turning factual stories into crafted narratives.
Moderated by Maldives Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) Secretary General Ibrahim Munaz and participated by Elizabeth, Sunny, Sardinia-based Claudia Tavani, Filipino travel blogger Ana Patricia Velarmino and Indian travel blogger Shivya Nath, the panelists agreed that travellers’ account plays a major role in creating a positive image, but that there is so much more to it than just standard of service. They noted that in order to tell a positive narrative of a destination, research on market influencers and writers has to be conducted.

The first panel discussion of the conference. PHOTO/ MALDIVES TV
Three more keynote speeches and two more panel discussions were held during the conference.
In her keynote speech, award-winning luxury travel writer Gina Samarato highlighted how multimedia plays a vital role in the travel industry, especially in bringing different experiences to life. She noted that combining her writings with images creates a much more positive effect than just text-based articles.
Meanwhile, local travel blogger Ahmed Ijaz spoke about how travel trends of Maldivians have changed throughout the years, noting that tourism has broadened both inbound and outbound tourism in the country.
The two keynote speeches were followed by the second panel, moderated by Mariyam Wisam, Registrar of Companies at the economic ministry. Gina, British travel photographer Stuart Vincent Forster, luxury travel writer Cacinda Maloney, adventure filmmaker John C Yoshihara, Russian travel blogger Yulia Safutdinova and Dr Ahmed Shan participated in the panel.
The moderator began by asking the panelists a simple question: when you wanted to come to the Maldives, how did you start your search? And what difference does it make? All the panelists admitted to have googled about the country, the location and what could be done there. For Gina, the cultural experience she has had in the Maldives was something she had not expected as it was not amongst the search results.

The second panel discussion of the conference. PHOTO/ MALDIVES TV
The last keynote speech of the conference was delivered by Janet Newenham, multi-award winning travel writer and blogger from Ireland, on what bloggers do. According to Janet, the work of bloggers and social media influencers is all about sharing their life in real-time. Sharing what they do via social media tools such as Instagram Stories, Snapchat, Facebook Live and more allows their followers around the world to know what they are doing exactly and to connect with them, she said.

Janet Newenham delivers her keynote speech. PHOTO/ MALDIVES TV
Janet’s speech was followed by the last panel discussion of the conference, on the topic: are luxury travel destinations failing in their storytelling?
Mariyam Waseema, the Senior Policy Executive at the environment ministry, moderated the panel, which began with a question on how destinations could be promoted through storytelling. The panelists, who included Janet, Dutch travel blogger Tom Grond, travel photographer and videographer Allison Green, British travel blogger Jayne Gorman, PR and Communications Manager at Kandima Maldives Shafraz Hafiz and Corporate General Manager at Adaaran Resorts Suresh Dissanayake, noted the importance of incorporating more components such as travellers’ experiences into destination marketing. Destinations should be selling experiences rather than brands by including authentic stories that connect with travellers, they said.
The conference will officially conclude with a gala dinner and a networking session at Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi Monday evening.
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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