Travel & Culture

Maldives celebrates 50 years of tourism, a sector undermined in the past

Published

2 years ago

04/10/2022

MNN

Fifty years ago, an Italian travel enthusiast, George Corbin visited the Maldives after crossing many hurdles. Some believed the little nation in the Indian Ocean was not worth visiting and though his colleagues and friends advised against it, Corbin took a chance. Today, the Maldives is marking the golden jubilee of an industry people believed would not have flourished all those years ago.

Not knowing how to travel to the Maldives, Corbin visited the closest embassy, the Maldives Embassy in Sri Lanka, where he was introduced to the then junior employee at the embassy, the current Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem. Since there were no air connections, Naseem and Corbin travelled to the Maldives on a cargo ship.

The arrival of Corbin marked the beginning of tourism in the Maldives. Reminiscing on the beginnings of tourism, a key pioneer of tourism in the Maldives, Mohamed Umar Manik said that meeting Corbin made him realise that the Maldives is a place where tourism can be developed. At that time, Corbin was seeking uninhabited islands where he could bring Italians to swim and fish. He said the enthusiasm and faith of Corbin gave encouragement to himself, Naseem, and Hussain Afeef.

Manik recalled not having any services such as banks, airports, or telephones back in the day, adding that only hand radios or Morse code were used to contact Colombo, Sri Lanka. He said many people did not believe that tourism could be expanded in the Maldives due to the natural formation and the lack of development of resources. Even experts from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said that tourism would never succeed because there were no facilities and no infrastructure, he added.

Meanwhile, Cobin returned home and the first group of tourists arrived on February 16, 1972, under the leadership of Umar Manik, Afeef and Naseem. The group of tourists arrived from Milan, Italy chartering a flight from Air Ceylon. A total of 22 tourists arrived on the maiden trip. They came and stayed at Maagiri, Lux Hood and Kaneeru Villa. They stayed in the Maldives for 12 days.

When the first group of tourists arrived in the Maldives, Naseem was abroad on a government trip. However, Naseem described the situation in which they had to serve tourists. He said that Afeef with others ran from one house to the other serving the tourists, taking cutlery from one house to the other when one team is finished, adding the courage they showed back in the day is an incomparable example.

The first group of tourists included some Italian journalists. They went back home and wrote about their experiences in the newspapers which is how most people came to know of the Maldives. After the trip, discussions to develop a resort in the Maldives commenced.

Speaking on a programme aired on PSM News, Mohamed Moosa said many challenges were faced by the industry over the years. He said he used to supply vegetables and other products to the resorts for Afeef.

When the first group of tourists arrived in the Maldives, Afeef said there were no modern facilities. However, they loved the experience which ensured the trust of foreign investors in the Maldives. The first resort in the country opened on October 3, 1972, in Vihamanaafushi, as Kurumba Village or Kurumba Maldives as it is known now. Kurumba Maldives is a 30-room resort with a bed capacity of 60.

Today, 50 years later, the Maldives has 170 resorts, 866 hotels and guesthouses, and 154 liveaboards registered in the Maldives which brings the total bed capacity to 59,601. Today, the Maldives is known to everyone and tourism has flourished with the passion, determination and hard work of its young and energetic Maldivian founders. Just as Corbin fell in love with the palm trees, turquoise sea and white sandy beaches, the Maldives has made it to the bucket list of everyone

Corbin said the Maldives are world known and among the best destinations, getting visitors of different nationalities and regions, thus being a very safe haven.

Source: psmnews

Travel & Culture

MMPRC promotes Maldives at KITF

Published

9 hours ago

26/04/2024

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has begun promoting the Maldives in the Kazakistan International Travel Fair (KITF). A total of 17 companies within the Maldivian tourism industry have participated in the fair along with MMPRC.

KITF is a significant, well-renowned fair hosted in Central Asia since 2001. The fair serves as a crucial platform to expand tourism industries across the world, enhancing more opportunities within the field. This year, the fair is scheduled to be held from April 24 to 26.

MMPRC revealed that the expo intends to establish and bolster ties with Kazakistan and agents in the central region of Asia, while displaying various merchandise from representing the Maldives in a global manner. It further affirmed that maximum efforts will be exerted to provide tourists with the latest information and to showcase the destinations and previous experiences, aiming to attract more tourist arrivals. Additionally, it stated that opportunities are available to establish collaborative partnership ties.

The stand of the Maldives placed in the KITF represents the true sunny side of life. Emphasising the significance of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the MMPRC assured that it is actively involved in promoting and advertising the Maldives to the CIS region through various activities and events. It further stated the significance of using social media as a tool to advertise the Maldives and attract more viewers.

Source(s): PsmNews

Travel & Culture

Maldives welcomes over 700,000 tourists

Published

2 days ago

24/04/2024

Ministry of Tourism has revealed more than 700,000 tourists have visited the country so far.

The latest statistics published by the tourism ministry show that a total of 728,950 tourist arrivals visited the Maldives between January 1 and April 21, which is an increase of 13.1% compared to the 644,721 arrivals during the same period last year. The statistics show that a total of 192,385 tourists visited the Maldives in January, 217,392 arrivals in February, 194,227 in March and 124,946 arrivals till April 21.

The latest updated report reveals that Chinese tourists constitute the largest portion of total tourist arrivals so far this year, with 77،709 visitors. Following China, the United Kingdom, and Russia along with Italy and Germany, stand out as the next highest sources of tourists, with 72,635 and 72,336, 66,170 and 57,321 arrivals, respectively. Currently, Maldives receives an average of 6451 tourists every day, which spend an average of 7.9 days in the country.

Aiming to expand the tourism industry, the bed capacity has been increased with a total of 62,232 beds. This includes resorts, guest houses, hotels and safaris as well.

Source(s): PsmNews

Travel & Culture

Maldivian’s Male’-Colombo route launches on Thursday

Published

4 days ago

22/04/2024

Maldivian, the flag carrier of the Maldives, is set to launch flights to the Bandaranaike International Airport in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, on Thursday.

The starting fare is USD 165, including a baggage allowance of 30 kilos and an attractive meal package.

According to Maldivian, it will operate two weekly flights on the Male’-Colombo route; on Thursdays and Saturdays.

The flight schedule is perfect for weekend getaways, allowing passengers to depart after work on Thursday and return on Saturday, maximizing their time in Sri Lanka without complicated itineraries.

The airline is offering exclusive benefits to customers from the Nawaloka Hospital. This includes:

Medical consultation and medical history evaluation (with a medical doctor)
Body mass index test and vision test
Dental check-ups
Consultation with clinical dietician
15% discount for laboratory tests (OPD basis)
5% discount for x-ray
Special discounted health screening packages

Unlike most budget carriers that focus on keeping fares low, Maldivian Airline goes the extra mile to enhance the travel experience, providing a complimentary meal on board, ensuring that passengers arrive in Colombo feeling satisfied and ready to explore.

The airline also offers an attractive offer of flying with a 30-kg baggage allowance for even the lowest fare of USD 165, eliminating the need to pay extra fees or travel light, ensuring travelers can pack everything they need for their trip within the limit, and avoid surprise baggage charges commonly imposed by budget airlines.

Th airline also offers elderly care and a seamless travel experience with multilingual staff, including Dhivehi and English speakers, ensuring clear communication and assistance for passengers of all levels of experience, making the journey comfortable and stress-free.

According to Maldivian, the new route to Colombo represents an exciting milestone for both Maldivian and the travelers seeking seamless connectivity between the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

The airline said the strategic expansion further solidifies Maldivian’s commitment to connecting the Maldives with key international destinations, enhancing travel options for passengers, and promoting cultural and economic exchanges.

Source(s): sun.mv