Business
Visit Maldives hosts workshop for in-house, industry marketers
A workshop held for marketers from the Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) and the industry has been concluded.
The five day workshop, organised by Visit Maldives in collaboration with facilitator Turan Ali from Bona Broadcasting, was held from August 22-27 at Maagiri Hotel.
It was attended by marketers from Visit Maldives and the industry.

Closing ceremony for the workshop was held on August 26 at the workshop venue. The Secretary General of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) Ahmed Nazeer attended this ceremony as the chief guest and distributed certificates to the participants.
Speaking at the ceremony, Nazeer noted the importance of developing human resources in the field of marketing the destination.
“I am greatly encouraged by the fact that MMPRC values the importance of training and education. This workshop will be of immense value to you all. This workshop focused on creative marketing and storytelling. In the age of ultra-competitiveness, whereby Maldives is not just competing with similar destinations but the entire world, our marketing efforts need to be bold, innovative, and highly original,” he said.
“To achieve this, it is highly important that we invest in our most valuable assets, which is our human capital. Without doubt these types of workshops are crucial for the development of our human capital. I hope that MMPRC continues to host training initiatives like this in the future.”
While delivering a vote of thanks to organisers, trainer, and participants of the workshop, Managing Director of Visit Maldives Thoyyib Mohamed expressed hope that the participants would utilise the theories and techniques taught during the workshop.
“This workshop taught masters level theories on powerful marketing techniques and content creation by one of the best trainers in the field. I saw how engaged you all were during the training session. I hope our staff and those who participated from the industry will apply what we learned during these past couple of days in our future work,” Thoyyib said.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, facilitator and trainer, Turan Ali, said that it was a complete pleasure to work with the participants.
“It is not often I work with a group, where so consistently, across the whole group, these sophisticated theories are understood and used so quickly at such a level. I congratulate Visit Maldives for the selection of this team. I have absolute confidence you understood these theories and will sufficiently start to use it in your work,” he noted.

Speaking on behalf of the participants, Market Director of Marriott Bonvoy Maldives Resorts, Ali Nihad thanked MMPRC for organising such an event, citing that it had been a truly great learning experience. He said that he and his fellow participants were looking forward to putting into practice the valuable lessons learned during this workshop.
The purpose of the workshop was to further elevate writing and persuasion techniques of marketers, so as to create effective content which persuades people to choose Maldives as their destination of choice.
The workshop introduced participants to principles and techniques of putting creative, persuasive stories and symbols at the heart of marketing. The workshop’s approach placed story, symbols, subtext and persuasion as the heart of powerful marketing.
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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