Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) is taking part in one of the longest-running pan-regional travel shows, the PATA Travel Market (PTM).

Organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), this year’s edition of PTM is held on a new, fully virtual platform.

The fair began on Wednesday in conjunction with Sichuan International Travel Expo and will conclude on Sunday. During these five days, MMPRC will connect with several qualified buyers through network lounges, interactive games and giveaways sessions.

The show also highlights the latest updates from participating destinations and corporations.

These activities are useful in providing beneficial insights on travel recovery with live presentations and panels, which can be incorporated into future marketing strategies, to strengthen the image of Maldives as a preferred tourist destination.

The second day of the fair will also feature the PATA Global Awards Presentation, which aims to acknowledge accomplishments within the Asia Pacific travel and trade.

In order to maintain destination presence in the markets, MMPRC also took part in the PATA Dream to Travel Festival, held from June 22 to July 17. This festival allowed tourism promotion officials to meet experts in the field and to showcase the country’s tourism products to the Asia Pacific region.

MMPRC has also conducted several other digital marketing activities, including the recently-concluded Rediscover Maldives Webinar Series. The initiative was targeted towards giving updated information about the destination to travel trade and media across different regions.

“The overall aim of participating in these virtual events is to maintain the constant efforts through digital platforms and rebuild the confidence in the destination as a ‘safe haven’ for tourists,” a statement issued by MMPRC read.

Asia Pacific has always been an important region for the Maldives in terms of tourist arrivals, as some of the highest arrivals are from markets within the region. This includes China, India, Japan and Australia — all of which were among the top 10 source markets for Maldives last December.

Some of the countries maintained their position in the first quarter of 2020, before the Maldives closed its borders for about four months to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Others are expected to grow in the future when regular travel resumes.