verybody wants to go to a place where they feel safe and 98 % of our resort employees are fully vaccinated against coronavirus . You can even have your own island for your meeting ,” Visit Maldives CEO and MD Thoyib Mohammed told CMW when he brought the islands ’ new MICE message to London recently . He was speaking at the Corinthia Hotel at the Maldives MICE event in November where 26 supplier colleagues and the Maldives minister of tourism met with 50 selected buyers and agents to discuss opportunities for hosting events in the Maldives .

Fiona Marshall , senior event manager from Evolution International , won a four-night stay at the Crossroads Maldives complex and Logan Gunasingham , creative event director at REZtron , recieved two Etihad flights to the Maldives .

Dr Abdulla Mausoom , minister of tourism , said : “ Maldives is a MICE destination where we are diversifying our product and where we want all the markets to be visiting and experiencing the various products .”

Over on the islands , meanwhile , TTM Maldives , the largest international travel trade show event in Maldives , returned in-person , 28-30 November 2021 , and facilitated 3,000 meetings between 100 hotelier exhibitors and organisers . In all , 500 travel trade professionals discussed over $ 1bn worth of business contracts . The TTM Travel Summit kick started the event on 28 November at Meerumaa Events Conference Facility in Male .

Akhmeem Razzaq , managing director and CEO of Orca Media Group , a leading media and marketing agency based in Maldives , tells CMW : “ Maldives is best known for being an island destination that takes your breath away at a first glimpse . What most people may not know is that the Maldives also has the potential to be the ultimate MICE destination in Asia .

“ The Maldives already have the resources to deliver with unique event venues , professional services , accessibility , and alluring attractions . It is a destination like no other where MICE is redefined .”

“ In Maldives we can create the space to combine productivity with creativity .” Razzaq urges organisers to break free from the traditional meeting spaces , from the … “ big table with formal chairs , awkward eye contact , classroom or theatre-style setups . Instead , an array of unconventional gathering spaces is available in Maldives ,” he says . “ Underwater venues and even the sandbanks are great meeting spaces to infuse events with energy . Outdoor cinemas by the sea can be repurposed for presentations .”

Wellness , Razzaq adds , is another big part of the islands ’ package , with yoga by the beach , spa sessions over water , detoxification programmes and reflexology and facial sessions all able to immerse the delegate in the redefined experience .

Maldives also offers eco-conscious resorts , and its ‘ barefoot meeting ’ footprint is part of the destination ’ s marketing . “ Hosting a MICE event in an eco-lover ’ s fantasyland is what all

Above : Maldives MICE event at the Corinthia Hotel in London in November 2021

companies should be aiming for in this day and age . This redefined experience paves the way for tourism and one of the world ’ s most fragile ecosystems to both coexist and delight far into the future ,” says Razzaq , adding that Maldives is in the middle of the Indian Ocean , and therefore easily accessible to countries and regions such as Singapore , Gulf States , India , and South Asia .

The Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation ( MMPRC ) strategy for developing the islands ’ niche MICE market is focused also on supporting the growth of hotels and resorts with specific infrastructure for conferences and meetings . This is in order to attract business events as well as special interest groups keen on culture and sports .

Thoyib Mohammed adds : “ The Maldives is well-known for its luxury and honeymoon product and an increased interest in diving and our local island culture . We have welcomed 19 new properties during the last year and this increase in hotel product is testament to the huge growth in the market and is a positive move for the economy .”