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Celta Vigo debuts Maldives-branded kit at Camp Nou
La Liga club Celta Vigo has debuted its new kit that features the Maldives’ official tourism branding.
RC Celta players donned blue jerseys with “Maldives… The Sunny Side of Life” stamped on their sleeves during Saturday’s game against FC Barcelona.
Maldives tourism minister Ali Waheed watched the game at Camp Nou which ended in a 4-1 win for FC Barcelona.
“Tonight is a very historic night for @visitmaldives. We hope to be the sunny side of @RCCelta. Honoured to be part of the European football family & we invite everyone to our beautiful nation #Maldives 🇲🇻🏝the most beautiful and the safest,” the minister said, in a tweet just before the match.
Maldives had last week inked a sponsorship deal worth USD 2.7 million with Celta Vigo, as part of the destination’s newfound push into sports tourism.
Under the three-year partnership deal, the official ‘Maldives… The Sunny Side of Life’ branding will be featured on the sleeve of the game shirts and training kits of Celta’s first team. The club’s official bus, as well as various spaces in the Abanca Balaidos stadium and fields of training will also feature the Maldives’ tourism branding.
The partnership, which costs USD 900,000 per year, also covers development of football in the Maldives. Celta Vigo will receive several young Maldivian players for training at the club’s training academy, whilst club technicians will travel to the Maldives to share their knowledge and experience with the island nation’s national football team.
Celta is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in La Liga. It was founded on August 23, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Football Club.
Nicknamed Os Celestes (The Sky Blues), they play in sky blue shirts and socks along with white shorts. The club’s home stadium is the Abanca-Balaídos, which seats 29,000 spectators.
Celta have never won the league title nor Copa del Rey, although they have reached the final three times in the latter. One of the team’s best seasons was 1970–71, when they finished unbeaten at home and were known as the “giant-killers”. Celta came sixth that season and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time.
The club finished in their best-ever position of fourth in 2002–03, qualifying for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, where they were eliminated by Arsenal in the Round of 16. In the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, Celta reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League for the first time, losing to Manchester United.
This partnership with an international football club comes amidst a newfound push by the Maldives into sports tourism.
The island nation’s official tourism promotion body had earlier announced plans to look beyond the Maldives’ longstanding selling points of ‘Sun, Sand and Sea’ and venture into MICE, cultural and sports tourism.
The Maldives has been known as ‘The Sunny Side of Life’ for decades, owing to its monsoon-based climate, as well as the pristine white sand beaches and clear blue waters.
However, with recent changes in tourist demographics and the introduction of more affordable products such as guesthouses, there is a need to diversify the Maldives’ branding.
The government had earlier said cultural tourism would play an important role in developing the Maldives’ tourism industry. However, a concrete step has yet been taken to realise those objectives.
Maldives has welcomed over a million tourists this year, as the destination attempts to reach an ambitious target of 1.5 million visitors over the next two months.
The one millionth visitor of the year arrived in the Maldives on August 2 — a month ahead of last year. In 2018, the one millionth mark was reached on September 9, whilst it was celebrated in October the previous year.
According to official figures, total arrivals for the past nine months of the year increased by 15.8 per cent to reach 1,251,690 compared to the 1,080,459 in the same period last year.
Maldives welcomed a record 1.4 million tourists in 2018. It was a 6.8 per cent increase from the 1,389,542 tourists that chose to holiday in the Maldives in 2017.
Meanwhile, government has revised its forecast for the number of tourists visiting the island nation this year, increasing the estimate to a record 1.6 million from 1.5 million.
This positive growth in the tourism industry comes amidst concerns by private organisations representing industry stakeholders such as the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) over the lack of effort and budget to promote the Maldives as a destination.
These concerns come as the world-famous holiday destination struggles to match an increased bed capacity.
Over the past few 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 more than 130. That number is set to increase as another 20 resorts are expected to open 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 500 guesthouses in operation today.
The previous government announced 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.
Meanwhile, the new government has pledged to ramp up tourism promotion.
Reflecting the new government’s pledge, the state budget for 2019 includes MVR 104,200,000 (USD 6.7 million) for tourism promotion, up from MVR 34,733,333 (USD 2.2 million) this year and the previous year.
Atmosphere Foundation, in collaboration with Moodhu Bulhaa Dive Centre, has opened applications for the first batch of a new programme that will sponsor 10 Maldivians per year to pursue professional dive training.
The initiative is aimed at supporting the career development of young Maldivians and increasing the number of qualified local professionals in the tourism industry. As tourism remains the Maldives’ main economic sector, the programme is designed to help Maldivians enter the field, build their skills from the ground up, and progress in their careers.
Under the programme, selected candidates will receive fully funded training and support to complete a range of internationally recognised dive certifications. The programme will cover full professional training, all certification fees, accommodation, meals and insurance.
Applicants must be aged 18 and above. Successful candidates will be required to work in the Maldives for a specified period after completing their course, helping ensure that the country’s tourism and marine sectors benefit directly from the skills developed through the initiative.
Abdul Azeez Abdul Hakeem, Vice President of Atmosphere Foundation, said the programme reflects the foundation’s commitment to creating practical opportunities for Maldivians to grow and succeed.
“This programme is about opening a pathway for young Maldivians who are passionate about the ocean and want to build a profession in diving. By investing in training and development, we are helping create more opportunities for Maldivians to take up skilled roles in an industry that is central to the country’s economy. We hope this initiative will support participants not only in gaining qualifications, but also in building long-term careers in the Maldives,” he added.
Atmosphere Foundation has continued to support community development through a range of initiatives focused on education, skills development, youth empowerment and social wellbeing. Through its programmes and partnerships, the foundation works to create opportunities that strengthen communities and contribute to long-term national development.
The dive training initiative adds to the foundation’s broader efforts to support Maldivians through programmes that deliver direct benefits, expand access to opportunity and encourage personal and professional growth.
Applications for the first batch are now open, with the submission deadline set for 15 April 2026. For applications and further information, interested individuals may contact info@moodhubulhaa.com or call +960 7788141.
The Indian Ocean provides consistent surf conditions throughout the year, but each September, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa hosts the Surfing Champions Trophy at the Sultans break. The event is scheduled to return from 4 to 11 September 2026, bringing together professional surfers, guests and spectators.
Now in its 14th edition, the Surfing Champions Trophy is an invitation-only event featuring professional surfers competing across three board disciplines: single fin, twin fin and thruster. The competition takes place at Sultans, a reef break in North Malé Atoll, with Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa serving as the base for participants, officials and attending guests.
The line-up for the 2026 edition will be announced in stages in the coming months.
The event was first held in 2011, with Mark Occhilupo winning all three divisions and the Grand Champions Final. Since then, previous winners have included Damien Hardman (2012), Taylor Knox (2013), Dave Rastovich (2014), Shane Dorian (2015), Taj Burrow (2016, 2017 and 2024), Josh Kerr (2018 and 2019), Kelly Slater (2022), and Joel Parkinson (2023).
Over the years, the competition has also featured a range of international surfers, including Carissa Moore, Maya Gabeira, Tom Curren, Rob Machado, Layne Beachley, Bethany Hamilton, Mikey February, Jeremy Flores and Jadson Andre.
The 2025 edition saw Tahitian surfer Michel Bourez secure victory despite sustaining a hamstring injury during the event. He won both the thruster division and the Grand Champions Final, achieving the only perfect score of the competition in the closing moments of the final. Other participants included Owen Wright, Jesse Mendes, Craig Anderson and Maldivian wildcard Ismail Rasheed.
In parallel with the event, the resort offers the “Surf’s Up” package, which includes coaching sessions with Tropicsurf professionals, guided surf trips, daily yoga sessions, spa treatments, and accommodation with transfers. The package is available to guests seeking to participate in surf-related activities during the event period.
Updates on the 2026 competition, including participant announcements, will be released through official channels of the Surfing Champions Trophy and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa.
JOALI has announced a partnership with retired footballer Fara Williams, who will visit JOALI Maldives and JOALI BEING this April to lead a series of football-related activities for guests and the local community.
Fara Williams is among the most capped players in English football history, with 172 international appearances for the England women’s national team. Over the course of her career, she represented clubs including Chelsea and Charlton Athletic, and captained Everton to victory in the Premier League Cup in 2008 and the FA Women’s Cup in 2010.
As part of the initiative, Williams will host a football workshop for girls from Dhuvaafaru Island on 11 April 2026. The session is intended to support the development of women’s football in the Maldives and reflects JOALI’s engagement with communities in Raa Atoll.
In addition, family-focused football sessions will be held for resort guests on 13 April at JOALI Maldives and on 17 April at JOALI BEING. These sessions will provide children and families with the opportunity to participate in football activities guided by Williams.
JOALI Maldives offers villas starting from USD 3,256 per night for two guests sharing a Water Villa with Pool on a bed and breakfast basis. At JOALI BEING, villas start from USD 3,162 per night for two guests sharing an Ocean Pool Villa on a bed and breakfast basis.
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