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‘Following the Equator’ festival in Maldives celebrates best of global tourism films

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Second edition of the International Tourism Film Festival Maldives (ITFFM) has wrapped up with a celebration of the best films and documentaries showcasing some of the most beautiful tourism destinations in the world.

Organised by Sun Siyam Resorts in association with the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT), the three-day festival took place at the award-winning The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Maldives resort from September 6-8. Held under the theme, ‘Following the Equator’, the festival kicked off with a cocktail reception and live music at the beach, followed by a dinner. International film makers, celebrities and industry professionals in attendance witnessed the screening of several films submitted as part of the festival.

“This festival is all about bringing together people from different destinations to enjoy and appreciate the different tourism destinations around the world,” Sara Siyam, PR and Communications Executive at Sun Siyam Resorts and ITFFM Secretary General, said.

Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, the Chairman and Managing Director of Sun Siyam Resorts, attends the closing gala of ITFFM 2018. PHOTO/ FAYAZ MOOSA

The second night of the festival featured a special segment on fashion and lifestyle with the participation of local models and makeup artists. More entries were screened to the audience.

An eight-member jury evaluated the 200 plus entries received from around the world. ITFFM Founder Evgenia Boyankova, ITFFM General Secretary Sara Siyam, Managing Editor of Vibe Magazine Hussain Shiham, Sun Siyam Resorts’ Head of Marketing Fathimath Reena, RAFY NGO President Aishath Rafiyya, CIFFT Director Alexander V. Kammel, CIFFT General Secretary Hugo Marcos, and Director of FilmAT Festival Ewa Kotus judged the entries based on several parameters, including visual quality, sound quality, reaching the goals, informational value, outstanding approach and innovativeness.

“Before you start any project, you should understand your target audience. For example, a film that sounds boring to some may be perfect for your target audience. You have to make sure that elements familiar to your target audience are included in your film,” Alexander said, during an open forum held on the second day of the festival.

“Your objective should be to make the viewer say, ‘I want to go there’.”

The open forum held as part of ITFFM 2018. PHOTO/ FAYAZ MOOSA

After a rigorous judging process, the nominees and winners in each category were announced at a grand gala at the the magnificent beach of The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Maldives resort. ‘Abu Dhabi – Your Extraordinary Story’ by Norman Bates won the coveted Grand Prix award as well as the Tourism Destination – Cities category. Other category winners include:

  • Dinner With Georgia: Tourism Destination – Countries
  • Fishing in Maldives: National Productions
  • Gastronomy of Valencia: Tourism Services
  • Hatta is Calling: Adventure Tourism
  • Cruises: Water/Ethnography
  • Dalmatia Ultra Trail: Environment & Eco-tourism
  • Love Summer: Hotels & Resorts
  • Spirit of Dubai: Cultural Tourism
  • The Route of Fate: Tourism Destination – Regions

Attendees at the closing gala of ITFFM 2018. PHOTO/ FAYAZ MOOSA

Just like the first edition in 2016, ITFFM 2018 brought together professionals, celebrities and guests from across the globe to share their passion for travelling and seeing the beauty of it, the love for art, tourism and sports.

This year’s edition witnessed celebrity figures including Chinese actors Dong Dong Xu and Terence Yin as well as British TV personality Lizzie Cundy. Social media influencers and travel bloggers from around the world along with Maldivian models and celebrities were also in attendance. The presence of top Chinese TV channel CCTV6 and well-known tourism journalists from France, Italy, Middle East and Russia, as well as the local travel media, which included Maldives Insider and Maldives TV made the festival more eventful.

Sun Siyam Resorts has a portfolio of boutique luxury resorts in the Maldives and neighbouring Sri Lanka: The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Maldives, Olhuveli Beach and Spa Maldives, Sun Aqua Vilu Reef, and the Sun Aqua Pasikudah in Sri Lanka as well as the upcoming Sun Aqua Iru Veli in the Maldives.

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Feydhoo Hall opens at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives as new event space

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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.

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BBM expands retail presence with new Hulhumalé outlet

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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.

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Ataraxis Grand & Spa hosts integrated work-and-dive corporate retreat in Fuvahmulah

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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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