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THE WORLD’S LARGEST SEA PLANE OPERATOR

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The Maldives has shown that travel to even the remotest and unspoiled archipelagos on the planet is attainable. The islands’ striking beauty, combined with luxury resorts, would not be as accessible as they are if it wasn’t for a handful of daring people. They turned their passion into a service benefiting visitors, resorts, and Maldivians alike.

 How it started

The Maldivians undertook voluntary work in order to build their own airport and in 1966 Male saw the first commercial landing.

The few adventurous travellers who came to the Maldives in the following years were limited to exploring the pristine islands close to Male. The natural and untouched beauty of the islands started to appeal an increasing number of inquisitive travellers, and the first resorts opened in 1972, all within reach of a boat from Male.

 

Maldivian Air Taxi & Trans Maldivian Airways

The beginnings of commercial aviation in the Maldives are to be undoubtedly attributed to Trans Maldivian Airways. TMA started in 1989 as a company operating a helicopter fleet under the name Hummingbird Island Helicopters. However the destination was struggling with infrastructure problems relating to the established helicopter air service, and the many resorts were still only reachable by boat, the idea of faster and more convenient travel was about to be floated. Traveling to Kuredu in 1991, Lars Erik Nielsen, recalls ‘The passengers were so sick on the voyage, I had to find a better way to travel!’ And he did. With his love of seaplanes and the much needed Scandinavian entrepreneurship, he started Maldivian Air Taxi in 1993.

From its humble beginnings in 1993 with only two aircraft, the company grew rapidly over the years where over 500,000 passengers were transferred per year. With the succession of seaplane operation in the country, Hummingbird Island Helicopters later changed the name to Hummingbird Island Airways, and the first seaplane was added to the fleet in 1997. The transition to a seaplane-only fleet was completed in 1999 and another year later, the name was changed to Trans Maldivian Airways. In February 2013 Maldivian Air Taxi (MAT) and Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) partnered with Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment and advisory firms under the name Trans Maldivian Airways (Pvt) Limited (TMA). In December 2017, the company was acquired by Bain Capital Private Equity, a global private equity firm headquartered out of the US, in association with Tempus Group, a Chinese tourism-focused conglomerate, from the current shareholders led by Blackstone.

Since its inception in 1989 Trans Maldivian Airways represents a synonym for connecting the Maldives islands. It is the oldest air services operator in the Maldives and has grown to become the largest seaplane operator in the world.  https://www.transmaldivian.com/

 

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Travel & Culture

Tourist arrivals surge by 14.3% compared to 2023

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The Ministry of Tourism has announced a significant surge in tourist arrivals, with 558,233 visitors arriving in the country so far this year. This marks a remarkable 14.3% increase compared to the total of 487,371 incoming tourists in 2023.

In January, 192,385 tourists visited the Maldives, followed by an even more impressive figure of 217,394 arrivals in February. As of March 24, the number of tourists has reached 148,456. This consistent growth in arrivals demonstrates the Maldives’ enduring popularity as a premier tourist destination.

On average, the Maldives welcomes approximately 6,186 tourists daily, with visitors spending an average of 8 days during their stay. The majority of tourists hail from China, constituting 11.4% of incoming arrivals. Notably, China leads with 63,647 arrivals, followed by Russia with 58,038 tourists and Italy with 53,249 visitors.

February 2023 witnessed a record-breaking number of tourists, with over 200,000 visitors flocking to the Maldives, highlighting its appeal as a coveted travel destination.

With more than 500,000 tourists already arriving this year, the government aims to achieve a milestone of 2 million tourist arrivals in 2024, setting ambitious targets for the tourism industry. To support this goal, the government has initiated various projects aimed at enhancing global exposure and expanding the tourism sector.

Source(s): PsmNews

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Minister reveals intend to host ITB fair 2026 in Maldives

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Minister of Tourism Ibrahim Faisal has announced ongoing arrangements and projects aimed at achieving the goal of hosting the ITB fair in 2026. Speaking after participating in the ITB fair 2024, an annual event held in Berlin, Germany, Minister Faisal expressed optimism about attaining the opportunity to host the prestigious tourism exhibition.

The ITB fair, known for being the largest international tourism exhibition, is held annually in Berlin, but other countries are also given the chance to host it. This year, Oman hosted the event, drawing industry delegates from various countries. Minister Faisal highlighted that as a leading global tourism destination, Maldives prioritizes participation in the ITB fair each year.

Minister Faisal is confident that hosting the ITB fair in 2026 would significantly develop and boost the Maldivian tourism industry. He emphasized the need for discussions with stakeholders and the Maldives Marketing & Public Relations (MMPRC) to plan the required arrangements for hosting the event, acknowledging the considerable expenses involved. Minister Faisal is committed to achieving this goal through unified efforts.

MMPRC’s Managing Director, Fathimath Thaufeeq, provided insights into Maldives’ participation in the ITB fair 2024. She mentioned that 107 companies from the country participated in the event, conducting a Maldivian In Win, showcasing the nation’s culture and traditional cuisine. Thaufeeq also highlighted the launch of a magazine promoting local tourism by the Guest House Association and the introduction of a media kit named “Maldives Finder 2024” by MATATO during the fair.

The ITB Berlin 2024 took place from March 5 to March 7 and was attended by delegates from the Ministry of Tourism, investors from the tourism industry, Maldivian companies in the tourism sector, and high-level delegates from MMPRC.

Source(s): PsmNews

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MMPRC CEO affirms commitment to responsible tourism at ITB Berlin ’24

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The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), Fathmath Thaufeeq has reaffirmed the Maldives government’s commitment to responsible and inclusive tourism development.

She made the remarks while speaking at the Maldives Media Meet, held last Tuesday on the sidelines of ITB Berlin 2024.

In her speech, the MMPRC CEO said Maldives achieved remarkable success in tourism sector last year, by surpassing pre-pandemic arrival levels to hit over 1.8 million annual visitors.

Fathimath also noted the evolving traveler prefences, and explained MMPRC is proactive about its commitment to promote new tourism segments, including cultural, sports, and medical tourism.

She said these new segments are poised on expanding the range travelers attracted to the Maldives, and added MMPRC is now working on strengthening existing tourism segments.

MMPRC CEO further revealed the government’s plans to introduce more transit hotels in Greater Male’ region, specifically for short-stay travelers and stopovers.

She said that the tourism development efforts will extend to southernmost areas of the Maldives, and added the initiatives will not only be economically beneficial but will impact local communities positively as well.

The tourism board’s CEO also highlighted the current administration’s ongoing efforts to increase the involvement of women in tourism sector.

Source(s): sun.mv

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