Business
Visit Maldives begins marketing campaign with Italy’s largest travel agency brand Bluvacanze

Visit Maldives launches a destination marketing campaign with Italy’s largest travel agency brand, Bluvacanze and Vivere & Viaggiare. The campaign will be held till the end of March 2022.
Vivere & Viaggiare with Bluvacanze is the brand that represents the largest number of travel agencies in Italy. The brand has over 320 travel agencies and over 600 points of sale across the country.
This Italian tourism distribution brand has been in the market for over 40 years and offers a complete range of services and solutions in collaboration with the best tour operator partners.
It is one of the largest and most important Italian tourism companies, which also owns the Blunet brands, the Tour Operator Going and Cisalpina Tours and is also the leading Italian company in Business Travel Management.
Under the campaign with Visit Maldives and Bluvacanze will hold several B2B and B2C promotional activities using email marketing, digital communication, social media posts, and webinar for the Italian travel trade and tourists.
The activities of this campaign will include social media posts and video on 3 of the Group’s pages which has 90,000 followers, a product newsletter distributed to 600 tour operators and a training webinar for 50 travel agents.
Through this campaign Maldives will also be displayed on the landing page of Bluvacanze website for a year, while banners and leaflets about the destination will be on “Gocce di viaggio”, a dedicated website for honeymooners and couples.
Under this campaign videos and images of Maldives will be displayed on digital signage with monitors in 150 travel agencies for four months as well.
This campaign is held in line with Visit Maldives’ marketing strategy for the Italian market, aiming to promote the destination as a safe haven for Italian tourists.
The campaign will promote the Maldivian resorts, hotels, guesthouses and liveaboards, along with experiences unique to the Maldives to Italian travel trade and tourists. This campaign is expected to increase future bookings and arrivals from the Italian market.
So far this year we have held several activities targeting this market, including a campaign with Welcome Travels, campaign with Easy Market and BIT Milan. Ongoing activities for the Italian market by Visit Maldives includes joint Campaign with Alpitour and E-Learning Campaign.
Future activities planned ahead for this market include media, influencer and travel trade FAM Trip, campaign with tour operators and airlines, OOH Advertising (Milan) and campaign with Mediamond.
Prior to the pandemic in 2020 Italy ranked as the 4th top source market to Maldives with 46,690 arrivals while the country ranked as the 3rd top source market to Maldives in 2019 with 136,343 arrivals.
Since the pandemic, the arrivals from the market declined drastically due to travel restrictions and measures taken across the globe. On 29th September, the Italian government established a travel corridor with tourist destinations including the Maldives, which allows Italians to travel to Maldives without quarantine-on-arrival upon returning to Italy.
Our target is to achieve pre-pandemic arrivals from the Italian market by holding promotional and marketing activities and position Maldives as the top destination of choice for Italian travellers as borders are now reopening for leisure travel.
Business
2 decades of culinary excellence: BBM’s founding legacy with Hotel Asia continues in 2025

Hotel Asia Exhibition and International Culinary Challenge is referred to be the hospitality industry event in the Maldives. In this year’s Culinary Challenge (19 to 22 October 2025) comprising competitions over 20 categories, most will take place at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies, Maldives National University, and some at the Synthetic Track, Hulhumalé.

A Founding Partnership that Endures
Since the very first edition in 2001, Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) has played a central role in shaping the International Culinary Challenge into the Maldives’ most prestigious culinary platform. The event has become a cornerstone for professional development, bringing together chefs from across the Maldives to compete, learn, and showcase their craft.

BBM and their associated Principals sponsor an overwhelming majority of categories. “From the beginning, our goal has been to create opportunities for Maldivian chefs to rise to global standards. This partnership has grown with the industry itself,” said A.V.S. Subrahmanyam, Chief Operating Officer of BBM.

Nurturing Local Talent
BBM’s contribution extends beyond sponsorship. The company has built a long-term system for recognizing and developing local culinary talent.
- BBM Chairman’s Trophy for the Best Maldivian Competitor.
- Most Promising Young Chef Award for emerging talent.
- Global exposure programs for Maldivian chefs through sponsored participation in international events.
- Pro-bono Masterclasses with world-renowned chefs to encourage learning and innovation.
Investing in the Future of Hospitality
Through initiatives such as Building Young Talent, BBM continues to mentor aspiring professionals and support the next generation of chefs. The company also promotes inclusivity by sponsoring opportunities for female and young chefs to gain international exposure.
BBM’s industry partnerships include its role as Title Sponsor of the Hotelier Maldives Awards, celebrating excellence across the Maldivian hospitality sector.

Proud Sponsors of Culinary Excellence
In 2025, BBM and its partner brands proudly sponsor 14 competition categories and 8 Main Awards, further strengthening their role in the development of culinary arts in the Maldives. Categories include Decorated Cake, Artistic Showpiece, Bread and Pastry Display, Three Desserts (Display), Desserts, Rice Dish, Asian Noodles, Team Challenge, Maldivian Dish, Creative Sandwich, Young Chef, Tea Challenge, tapas/finger food, and Iced Mocktail.
Business
Bestbuy Maldives, MNU forge partnership to advance hospitality education

The Maldives National University – Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies (MNU-FHTS) and Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen industry-academic collaboration and advance hospitality education in the Maldives.
The MoU was signed by Dr Aishath Shehenaz Adam, Vice Chancellor of MNU, and Ismail Hilmy, Chairman and Managing Director of BBM, during a ceremony attended by the university’s Chancellor Dr Mahmood Shaugee, senior management, and representatives from both organisations.
This partnership marks a significant milestone in developing a state-of-the-art Food and Beverage Practical Demonstration Kitchen at MNU-FHTS. BBM will support the upgrading of the existing Garde Manger kitchen and classrooms, contributing financially and materially to create a modern, industry-standard learning environment for future hospitality professionals.
Beyond infrastructure, the collaboration will extend to academic and training support, research and innovation in culinary arts, community engagement, and professional networking opportunities, ensuring that students gain practical, real-world experience aligned with industry expectations.
Highlighting the broader purpose of this partnership, BBM stated that, “This is a significant step in the direction of BBM’s vision involving hospitality industry outreach in the Maldives — because tomorrows start today. Initially, we will set up a world-class model kitchen that will be suitable for masterclasses and hands-on training for students; and also for product demonstrations, masterclasses, and interaction with groups of customers.”
Speaking at the ceremony, representatives from both institutions emphasised their shared vision to promote excellence in education, innovation, and human capital development in the Maldivian hospitality sector. This partnership underscores BBM’s continued commitment to supporting education and industry growth, and MNU-FHTS’s mission to bridge the gap between academia and industry — nurturing the next generation of hospitality leaders in the Maldives.
Business
SATA 2025 announces partnerships; confirms Hotelier Maldives, Maldives Insider as Media Partners

Hotelier Maldives and Maldives Insider have been confirmed as official Media Partners of the South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) 2025. The announcement was made during a signing ceremony held at Hulhulé Island Hotel, Maldives, where SATA unveiled its distinguished partners for the 9th edition of the annual awards.
Now in its ninth year, SATA has become a key platform for recognising excellence in South Asia’s tourism and hospitality sector. The partnership with Hotelier Maldives and Maldives Insider will strengthen the awards’ regional visibility and ensure extensive coverage of the event across Maldives and beyond.

This year’s awards ceremony will take place from 19th to 20th September 2025 at Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Sri Lanka, bringing together industry leaders, stakeholders, and innovators from across South Asia.
In addition to the media partnership, SATA 2025 also announced its corporate partners. Honda Marine has been named the Platinum Partner, while The Hawks, Velana International Airport, and Allied Insurance Company of the Maldives join as Gold Partners. Renaatus Realty has been confirmed as the Silver Partner, and Hulhulé Island Hotel continues as the official Hospitality Partner in the Maldives.

Speaking at the ceremony, SATA organisers noted that the strong lineup of partners reflects the growing importance of collaboration within the tourism and hospitality industry. With the support of its partners, SATA 2025 aims not only to celebrate outstanding achievements but also to foster long-term cooperation and sustainable growth in the region’s tourism sector.
The awards are endorsed by leading national tourism bodies and associations across South Asia, including the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Nepal Tourism Board, Visit Maldives Corporation Limited, and several travel and hotel associations across the region.

This year’s evaluation process was conducted by a panel of nine jury members representing different countries, including tourism leaders from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Spain, and the Maldives.
Through partnerships with media outlets such as Hotelier Maldives and Maldives Insider, SATA 2025 will ensure broad engagement across key markets, strengthening its position as one of South Asia’s most prestigious hospitality and travel award platforms.
-
News1 week ago
Universal Resorts transforms into VERSA, unveiling NIVA as cornerstone of international growth strategy
-
Celebration1 week ago
JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa unveils ‘Around the World’ festive celebration inspired by global cultures
-
Featured7 days ago
The St. Regis Maldives introduces holistic wellness experience with Tash and Andre Barnard
-
Featured1 week ago
New era of sustainable luxury: Veligandu Maldives now fully powered by solar energy
-
Celebration1 week ago
Sun Siyam Olhuveli’s dual celebration of Diwali and culinary artistry
-
Featured1 week ago
Escape to Baa Atoll with Royal Island’s limited-time winter offer
-
Awards1 week ago
Luxury Lifestyle Awards honours Summer Island Maldives as Best Romantic Resort
-
Celebration7 days ago
Centara Hotels & Resorts lights up Maldives with vibrant Diwali celebrations