Visit Maldives is taking part in Moscow International Travel Trade Show (MITT), making it the first physical destination presence since the border reopening mid last year.

Held from March 16-18 in Russian capital Moscow, MITT is the place where destinations and travel trade professionals from all over the world meet travel agents and tour operators from Russia and CIS region.

Twenty-three representatives from 12 industry stakeholders are taking part in the fair along with the Visit Maldives team.

“The purpose of taking part in this three-day fair is to maintain and strengthen the destination presence in the Russian market and establish Maldives as the top of the mind destination for Russian travellers. Russian market has been one of the top performing markets since the reopening of Maldives border to international travellers on July 15, 2020,” a statement issued by Visit Maldives read.

“Visit Maldives aims to achieve targeted growth for various tourism products and enable a platform for industry partners to present their products to the market.”

Visit Maldives along with industry partners are presenting the products and the unique experiences available in the Maldives at a 148.6sqm dedicated destination stand in Pavilion 1.4.

The unique geographical formation of the islands is being highlighted in the Maldives stand through the use of pictures, 360° virtual images and videos. Videos are displayed at a stand via a touchless sensor, assuring the visitors that Maldives is one of the safest destinations to travel and the destination fits today’s traveller’s needs.

A raffle is conducted together with the organisers of MITT and at the end of the event a lucky winner will get a complementary holiday in the Maldives. The raffle is sponsored by Reethi Beach Resort for five nights for two persons.

“MITT provides the opportunity to meet and update the travel trade in Russia with the latest information on Maldives, including but not limited to the stringent health and safety measures put in place to combat the spread of Covid-19,” Visit Maldives said.

“In addition, the fair offers the opportunity to gain new partners and clients among visitors representing the travel trade and maintain present relationships.”

In 2019, MITT saw the participation of 22,289 travel professionals, as well as 1,523 exhibitors from over 200 countries.

In order to attract more visitors to the Maldives stand and increase brand visibility, a banner is placed in a prime location at the main entrance showcasing the beauty of the destination.

Coinciding with MITT, Visit Maldives will host roadshows in four Russian cities from March 21-26. The roadshows will be held in Moscow, Kazan, Saint Petersburg and Ekaterinburg.

Along with Visit Maldives, 20 companies with 34 participants will take part in the roadshow to further strengthen the destination presence and relationship with trade partners.

The Russian market is currently one of the top performing source markets, with 40,698 visiting the Maldives from the Russian region so far in 2021.

Four daily flights connect Russia and the Maldives with direct connections offered by Russia’s flag carrier, Aeroflot.

Several initiatives are underway to market the destination in Russia. High impact campaigns such as media familiarisation trips have been conducted earlier this year, with more planned for the upcoming months.

Visit Maldives is also conducting a global campaign targeting Russia in collaboration with Expedia. The collaboration with Expedia is one of the many high-impact global campaigns planned for the year.

Visit Maldives is currently carrying an educational and training program targeted to the Russian travel trade with Association of Tour Operators in Russia (ATOR).

Maldives reopened its borders for tourists of all nationalities on July 15, 2020, with rigorous procedures in place to ensure the safety of tourists and tourism workers.

Tourists are required to fill an online health declaration form within 24 hours prior to their departure, as well as have a negative PCR test result, conducted 96 hours prior to their departure.

On February 1, Maldives launched its vaccination programme, and the government aims to provide free Covid-19 vaccine to all citizens and residents of Maldives.

The tourism ministry has also launched an initiative to inoculate tourism workers to develop an even safer scenario for the industry.

“The initiation of the vaccination drive is bound to offer hope to the local population, as well as ensure the safety of tourists. This conveys the message that Maldives is a low-risk destination for travellers and will hopefully generate a surge in tourist arrivals,” Visit Maldives said.

According to data published by the tourism ministry, the Maldives has welcomed 200,871 tourists so far this year.