Batik Air, a Malaysian budget airline, has commenced operations to the Maldives.

The first flight from Batik Air landed at Velana International Airport at 8:30 pm Friday, and was greeted with a water salute.

The flight carried 57 passengers.

The airline will have daily scheduled flights between Maldives and Malaysia with a transit stop at Sri Lanka. Direct flights are scheduled to begin in June of this year.

After rebranding Malindo Air to Batik Air, the airline has begun multiple promotions for a multitude of destinations.

Batik Air will use Boeing 737 aircraft for Maldives’ operations with a capacity of 180 passengers.

Batik Air hold operations in 50 destinations including Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia. This makes it easier for passengers to come to Maldives from these destinations.

It is estimated that tourist arrivals will increase along with these flights.

Source(s): sun.mv

The Maldives’ stand has won the award for ‘Best Stand Feature’ at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023.

The Maldives’ stand won the award competing with several major destinations.

The award was presented on Wednesday.

The selection was made through an anonymous judging panel visiting the stands, with the award given to the stand with the most unique features and the most engaging experience for visitors.

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) described the award as “a testament to the countless hours of work dedicated to curating the Maldives’ stand as the most attractive, vibrant, and energetic stand at the fair.”

Maldives was showcased at ATM 2023 with a double-decker stand, in a space spanning over 429 square meters at the Dubai World Trade Center, providing visitors with a glimpse into the breathtaking Sunny Side of Life.

Every aspect of the stand was thoughtfully curated to showcase the diversity and beauty of Maldivian as a destination, inspired by the geographically scattered islands of the Maldives.

The vibrant and colorful stand consists of 90 co-exhibitor counters along with 53 B2B meeting tables, and is full of exciting experiences for visitors.

The Maldives’ stand featured high engagement with fun quizzes, LED screens showcasing breathtaking sights from the Maldives, and a 360-video booth, where visitors could take videos of themselves. Visitors also received gift bags.

Arabian Travel Market is the leading global event for the inbound and outbound travel industry in the Middle East.

MMPRC joined ATM this year with the largest Maldivian delegation to attend the fair thus far; with over 200 partners representing 90 travel and tourism establishments.

Source(s): sun.mv

Statistics released by the Tourism Ministry shows Russia leading tourist arrivals to Maldives from January-April.

The weekly updates show Maldives recorded 71,989 arrivals from Russia as of April 12, making for 12.1 percent of the market share.

In second place is India, with 62, 415 arrivals, followed by the United Kingdom with 58,584 arrivals.

Maldives has recorded an impressive 592,605 arrivals so far this year – a 20 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The average duration of stay is eight days.

The island destination has 1,235 tourist accommodations, including 174 resorts, 13 hotels, 895 guesthouses, and 153 liveaboards. They have 61,410 beds between them.

Russia had been the second biggest source market for tourist arrivals to Maldives in 2020. The country recorded 61,387 arrivals from Russia that year – which saw the closure of the country’s borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Russia had been the sixth biggest source market in 2019, with 83,369 arrivals.

Maldives has seen arrivals upwards of 60,000 from Russia since 2016. The country saw 220,213 arrivals from Russia in 2021. However, the numbers had dropped with the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, resulting in the country falling from being the top source market to the second top source market that year with 201,957 arrivals. Russia retained the top spot in January.

Source(s): sun.mv