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International Maldives Travel Market 2019 launched

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International Maldives Travel Market (IMTM) 2019 has been launched.

As a B2B travel and trade fair, IMTM brings together leading tour operators, travel agencies, destination management companies and other businesses related to the tourism industry from different parts of the world to explore opportunities and liaise with a major representation of the Maldives tourism industry, including resorts, hotels, guesthouse, liveaboards, local travel agents and tour operators.

IMTM 2019 was officially launched Wednesday evening by the Deputy Minister of Tourism Dr Naushad Mohamed at a ceremony held at Maagiri Hotel in capital Male. The ceremony was attended by government officials, heads of corporations, industry representatives, partners of IMTM and media partners.

The second edition of IMTM is planned to be held from June 22-23, 2019 at Farukolhufushi, Hulhumale, Phase 2. The event aims to host 50 hosted buyers (an increase of 56 per cent) and representative of 25 countries (an increase of 32 per cent), whilst achieving a trade visitor participation target of 300 representatives (an increase of 100 per cent) compared to 2018.

“Unlike the traditional fairs, IMTM used a different approach where international buyers were stationed in meetings booths. The local participants visited them as trade visitors which made it possible for IMTM to make it cost effective for the local trade visitors. Meetings were prescheduled through the online meeting booking portal developed by IMTM in-house technical team,” Hawwa Shiuna Khalid, the Managing Director of IMTM, said.

The first edition of IMTM 2018 was held from June 23-24, 2018 at Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi resort. The inaugural event featured 32 hosted buyers representing 19 countries spread throughout five continents. The event also welcomed 127 trade visitors representing 44 resorts, 42 guesthouses, 21 liveaboards, three hotels, and 13 local travel agents and tour operators.

IMTM team has shared the feedback collected from the participants and hosted buyers after a post event survey conducted.

According to the findings, the main objective of participating in IMTM was to build new contacts, 80 per cent of the participants reported that business meetings conducted at IMTM was “valuable”. Forty per cent of the participants reported conducting 21-20 business meetings during the fair. A total of MVR 2.5 million worth of sales were generated at the two-day fair itself. Seventy-eight per cent of the participants said “yes” to participating in IMTM 2019.

Atlanta Tourism, a hosted buyer from Turkey, stated: For the first time it is a very successful organisation. Setups were traditional and well organised. We saw new properties and some alternatives for the traditional and local island tourism.”

Secret Paradise, a trade visitor, also commented: “I think you did an amazing job and you should be proud of what you achieved, even though there will be learning points and things you will want to do differently. I had more meetings with agents interested in the Maldives in the two days than would have done in two days at ITB/WTM at a very cost-effective rate, even with my overnight stays. I look forward to attending 2019.”

IMTM has also made a Request for Proposal (RFP) to accommodate the 50 hosted buyers that will visit IMTM 2019. The detail regarding the RPF is available from IMTM website and the deadline for RFP submission is January 20, 2019.

Registration for both hosted Buyers and local trade visitors are also open through IMTM website. The finalised list of hosted buyers will be published before May 16, 2019 and the deadline for trade visitor registration is May 23, 2019. Similar to last year, trade visitor fee is USD 250 per person per company.

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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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