Business
Maldivian digital media pro Shafraz to speak at world’s premier travel blogger event
Renowned Maldivian digital media professional Mohamed Shafraz Hafiz has been announced as a speaker at one of the premier travel blogger events in the world.
Shafraz, who currently serves as the Deputy Director of Digital Marketing and Social Media for Kandima Maldives, will join 12 other highly skilled professionals at TBEX Europe 2020, to be held from March 10-13, 2020 in Catania, Sicily, Italy.
He will share the stage with Paul Johnson, Editor of ‘A Luxury Travel Blog‘, the world’s premier blog that targets luxury travel. The duo will talk about how to pitch to luxury hotel brands.
One of the most highly experienced and innovative digital media professionals in the Maldives, Shafraz had previously served as a consultant for Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the country’s official tourism promotion body.
He also describes himself as a destination promoter, new media explorer, author, social media nut and a proud father.
As a tourism promoter, Shafraz says he follows three key principles: integrating and converging different to optimize for the best result; making use of social media platforms as an honest marketing and sales tool; and always being on the lookout for new technology that seems to be changing daily whilst always being open to thinking out of the box.
The first round of speakers at TBEX Europe 2020 is a collection of 12 highly skilled professionals who will provide travel media – including tourism brands, content creators, influencers and vloggers – with constructive information, tools, and innovative strategies for success in the current travel and tourism space.
In addition to Shafraz and Johnson, the conference will feature:
- Eulanda and Omo Osagiede: co-founders of Hey! Dip Your Toes In, an award-winning blog which promotes creative digital content with a focus on global travel and food culture.
- Catharina Fischer: one of the leading experts in influencer marketing and a digital leader with over 10 years of experience in tourism.
- Lou Mongello: host of WDW Radio, an award-winning podcast (once ranked #2 overall on iTunes and named Best Travel Podcast for nine consecutive years) about the Disney Parks and movies, Marvel, and Star Wars.
- TJ Lee: host of the Cutest Travel & Food Show on Youtube with more than 300K subscribers and 1.6 million monthly views.
- Anton Diaz: founder of Our Awesome Planet, the number #1 food and travel media in the Philippines with millions of followers and readers.
- Fiona Anderson: a PR professional with over 20 years of experience, spanning corporate, lifestyle and travel spheres.
- Chris “Mercer” Mercer: co-founder of MeasurementMarketing.io.
- Zoe Cairns: highly respected and proficient international social media speaker, trainer and consultant.
- Arlo Hemphill: Senior Oceans Campaigner with Greenpeace.
TBEX’s 22nd travel bloggers conference in Catania, Sicily will also provide a wealth of information for industry travel and tourism providers on how to develop an effective online presence and work effectively with content creators.
Business
Feydhoo Hall opens at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives as new event space
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.
Business
BBM expands retail presence with new Hulhumalé outlet
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.
Action
Ataraxis Grand & Spa hosts integrated work-and-dive corporate retreat in Fuvahmulah
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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