Business
Maldives tourist arrivals dip in October

Maldives has recorded a slight decline in tourist arrivals in October, as several key markets underperformed.
Official figures for the month of October released by the tourism ministry show that a total of 127,393 tourists visited the Maldives during the month — a 0.5 percent decrease over the 127,986 tourists in October 2017.
Growth in Europe, the largest regional source market, slowed down in October, as arrivals only increased by 1.5 percent to reach 62,962 from 62,018.
The UK, which is the single biggest European source market, made a gain of 8.9 percent, while several other major European markets such as Italy, France and Spain also posted gains of 15.6 percent, 18.1 percent and 29.6 percent respectively. However, arrivals from Germany, the second largest European source market, decreased by 10.9 percent, while the Swiss market also dipped by 7.1 percent.
Russian travellers continued to show their appetite for the Maldives, as arrival numbers jumped 5.7 percent in October to reach 5,800 from 5,485 in September 2017. This strong performance last month translated into an impressive growth of 18.6 percent in arrivals from Russia in the past 10 months of the year.
Arrivals from Asia, the second largest regional source market, decreased for the third consecutive month.
The Chinese market, which had for the past two months showed signs of recovery with a 2.9 percent gain last month, relapsed in October, as arrivals declined by 10.1 percent to reach 25,803 from 28,689 in October 2017. This weak performance widened the decline in arrivals from the Maldives’ single biggest source market for the January-October period to 6.6 percent.
Several major contributors to Maldives tourism from South East Asia, which have been posting strong gains over the past year, once again declined in October, with arrivals from countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore decreasing by 22.8 percent, 7.6 percent, 2.9 percent and 16.6 percent respectively.
However, South Asia, which has become one of the fastest growing source markets, rebounded after major declines for three consecutive months. The 5.1 percent gain in the South Asian market in October is due to the positive growth in the Indian market, which posted a 6.6 percent growth.
Despite mixed performance in established markets, relatively new markets such as the Americas and Africa performed well in October.
Arrivals from the US, which last year secured a place amongst the top 10 contributors to the Maldives tourism industry, increased by 8.7 percent to reach 3,307 last month compared to the 3,043 in October 2017, while the number of visitors from Australia also increased by 59.1 percent. South Africa, which has been on the recovery, also posted an increase of 46.9 percent.
Middle East, which has proven to be a volatile market, recovered in October after major declines for the past three months. Arrivals from almost all major Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates posted negative growth of 41.8 percent, 10.8 percent, 21.9 percent, 175.5 percent and 26.7 percent respectively.
According to the October statistics, total arrivals for the past 10 months of the year increased by 7.3 percent to reach 1,207,852 compared to the 1,125,995 in the same period of last year.
Maldives had in September welcomed the one millionth visitor of 2018.
In addition to a new wave of recent political turmoil and presidential elections, the Maldives is currently experiencing the traditionally low season.
May to November is considered the low tourist season, as these months constitute rainy season in Maldives. Between May and November, the islands boast of wet weather, making it less ideal for tourists to travel and enjoy the tropical environment.
Over the past five years, dozens of uninhabited islands have been leased to local and foreign resort developers. Several international brands have entered into the market, increasing the number of resorts to 120. That number is set to increase as the government has announced the opening of some 20 new resorts over the next two years.
Along with the new resort openings come the challenge of increasing demand from budget travellers who choose guesthouses over luxury resorts that the Maldives is known for. The guesthouse sector has rapidly expanded with over 450 guesthouses in operation today.
The government last year announced new steps to maintain a structured growth in tourism, including a slowdown in leasing islands for resort development and increased marketing efforts in key markets such as China and the Middle East in order to reach an ambitious target of a record 1.5 million tourist arrivals this year.
Business
‘Get Charged and Win’ promotion: Four draws, countless winners, more to go

The ‘Get Charged and Win’ promotion, which launched with great fanfare on June 23, continues to captivate audiences across the nation with its promise of incredible prizes and adrenaline-pumping excitement. As Coca-Cola moves forward, the company has announced not one, but four draws that have rewarded lucky winners with exciting prizes!
The ‘Get Charged and Win’ promotion has been a huge success, with dozens of lucky winners taking home amazing prizes, such as Benelli motorbikes, helmets, and Charged drink cases. The promotion, which started on June 23, has been attracting customers from all over the Maldives, who have been enjoying the refreshing taste of Charged caffeinated beverage and the thrill of scratching their cards to reveal their codes.
So far, four draws have taken place, each one broadcasted live on Television Maldives (TVM) at 9:30pm. The winners of the Benelli motorbikes were Mohamed Adam, MD Musharraf, Mohamed Rasel Hossain and Ahmed Zahir who were ecstatic to receive their prizes and thanked Charged for making their dreams come true. The winners of the helmets and drink cases were also delighted with their rewards and encouraged others to join the promotion.
But don’t worry if you haven’t won yet, because there are still more chances to win! The ‘Get Charged and Win’ promotion is not over yet. That means you still have time to grab your favourite Charged drink, scratch your card, and send your code to 2626 via SMS.
As the exciting journey continues, there are two main draws left in this thrilling event, scheduled for September 24 and October 20. You could be the next lucky winner of a Benelli Leoncino 250 motorbike! But the excitement doesn’t stop there; be sure to keep an eye out for the daily draws, with winners announced regularly on the @ChargedMaldives Instagram page. You could stand a chance to win a Charged branded helmet, or a Charged drink case.
Charged, a ground-breaking addition to Coca-Cola Maldives’ beverage portfolio, is available in 250 ml, in 100% recyclable aluminium cans, in line with our packaging strategy to use 100% recyclable packaging material. The caffeinated beverage is now widely available at major retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, and cafes throughout the Maldives.
Business
JEN Maldives Malé by Shangri-La unveils Oro’s 100% Arabica Rose Coffee

JEN Maldives Malé by Shangri-La has introduced a special coffee to their collection – Oro’s 100% Arabica Rose Coffee. This latest addition to the menu of Jen’s Kitchen On-the-Go aims to provide coffee lovers with the unique and delicate taste of Oro’s Arabica Rose.
The hotel was alive with excitement on Thursday evening with the launch of Oro’s 100% Arabica rose. Media personnel and coffee enthusiasts were treated to an exclusive tasting experience of freshly brewed Arabica Rose Coffee along with some tasty finger foods.
The highlight of the evening was a lucky draw giveaway, extending an invitation for all the guests to participate and win a Skechers Maldives voucher and coffee voucher from Jen’s Kitchen On-the-Go.
Oro’s Arabica Rose Coffee is now available at Jen’s Kitchen on-the-go. It is the perfect spot to refuel with coffee, tea, freshly squeezed juices, or a light bite. Customers can now enroll to become a Shangri-La Circle Member and earn points with every purchase at Jen’s Kitchen On- the-Go and enjoy the rewards at Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts worldwide.
Business
Master Baker Steven to conduct IREKS Baking Art & Science training in Maldives

The return of IREKS Master Baker to the Maldives brings exciting news for the local baking community.
Kuala Lumpur-based Master Baker – Chef Steven Selvamuthu, will be conducting pro-bono culinary demonstrations and extensive training sessions from 19th August to 7th September, 2023. Bakers and Pastry Chefs in resorts and HORECA institutions can look forward to enhancing their skills and knowledge under his guidance.
Steven’s expertise in pastries, acquired through training in Gelato University in Italy and a Chocolate Master program in Switzerland, has been instrumental in providing the best solutions to IREKS’ customers in the Maldives.
IREKS, the renowned German company, is a global player in the industry, celebrated for their expertise in developing innovative baking ingredients and catering to the preferences of the health-conscious and quality-driven generation. IREKS provides high-quality bakery flour and ingredients, including baking improvers, specialty bread mixes, gluten-free mixes, vegan mixes, and confectionary mixes. With a growing awareness of the impact of food production on people and the environment, IREKS offers a diverse range of organic baking improvers and mixes for the efficient production of various organic quality baked goods. They exclusively source raw materials from controlled organic cultivation.
In addition to its range of flour mixes focused on multiple baking needs, IREKS also offers a wide “Free-from” range, accommodating various dietary preferences such as lactose-free, palm oil-free, additive-free, egg-free, sugar-free, or vegan options.
In particular, IREKS has been providing a comprehensive Gluten-Free range since 1995. Gluten, a protein that provides structure, is essential for making grains bakeable, and it would be a challenge to bake without its presence. At the same time, gluten-free baked goods are growing in demand – even from those who do not suffer from medical conditions (e.g.: celiac disease). In order to meet the high safety requirements in this specialised production process, gluten-free ingredients are carefully and meticulously selected and processed at IREKS’s state-of-the-art facilities in Germany.
So, this powerhouse of the baking profession, Master Baker Steven, will share his vast expertise with the resort bakers’ community during these demonstration sessions. Should you wish to participate in a training session, please contact Bestbuy Maldives.
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