Maldives welcomes 1.6 millionth...

The milestone was announced by President Solih in a Presidential Address

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) – also known as Visit Maldives – has celebrated welcoming the 1.6 millionth tourist to the Maldives in 2022 with a lavish ceremony.

Maldives President Solih said the milestone was achieved through "the hard work and dedication of Government agencies, industry stakeholders، and travel trade partners from across the globe".

As of Q4 2022, MMPRC had conducted over 171 marketing and promotional activities, including 88 marketing campaigns, 41 fairs, six roadshows, 10 virtual events, 17 fam trips, and nine other events worldwide to promote Maldives as a tourist destination.

The 1.6 millionth visitor was Tejas Sanjay Kothari from India, who arrived in the Maldives for his honeymoon. It was his first time in the Maldives. He was welcomed with traditional Maldivian Boduberu, a cultural procession and gifts including a hamper and a holiday voucher from LUX* South Ari Atoll.

Further testament to the success of the MMPRC's marketing activities came this year as the country secured the title of ‘World’s Leading Destination’ at the 2022 World Travel Awards, globally recognised as the hallmark of industry excellence. This is the third consecutive year that the Maldives had successfully earned this prestigious title.

In 2022, MMPRC also secured the title of 'World's Leading Tourist Board' for the first time in the nation's history.

In 2021, the Maldives welcomed 1.3 million tourists, a target set by the Government, two months ahead of the forecasted date. This year’s 1.6 million tourist arrivals is a 23.1% increase compared to last year.

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CEO and MD of MMPRC, Mr Thoyyib Mohamed said that the Maldives' golden jubilee year of tourism holds the record for tourism sector milestones: “We are celebrating yet another milestone following our recent momentous wins at the World Travel Awards. It's no small feat for a tiny nation like ours to be crowned the World’s Leading Destination thrice in a row.

"Our perseverance during the harshest of times that the world has seen recently led us to these achievements. All this is undeniably the result of the Government’s foresight in policy formulation; implementation during and post-Covid; the sacrifices and hard work of employees of the tourism sector; the joint efforts of every single tourism sector stakeholder; and the noteworthy efforts of MMPRC staff and our network of global travel trade partners. We move forward now, with even more determination to uphold this level of service excellence."

The Minister of Tourism, Dr Abdulla Mausoom, also made a statement regarding the milestone: "We appreciate the engagement and support of Travel and Tourism Industry stakeholders in achieving yet another milestone of Maldives Tourism success story. The quick rebound of Maldives tourism to pre-pandemic level is a clear indication of the visionary leadership of His Excellency President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, sound tourism policies and the strong partnership between the government and the private sector."