Business
Visit Maldives hosts first post-reopening physical destination presence at MITT
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.
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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