During the first official month of summer this year, Maldives will host three major tourism events taking place in June 2015. From official joint commission meetings to an inaugural environmental festival, to the launch of the “Visit Maldives Year 2016” marketing campaign, it will all be happening in the Maldives.

UNWTO Commission&Conference

From June 3-4, 2015, the 27th Joint Meeting of the UNWTO (UN World Tourism Organization) Commission for East Asia and The Pacific (CAP)&The UNWTO Commission for South Asia (CSA)&UNWTO Regional Ministerial Conference on Positioning Tourism in a Wider Socio-Economic Context will be held at the Bandos Island Resort&Spa. Several high-level delegations from the participating countries will be taking part in the event.

Maldives Minister of Tourism HE Mr. Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Gafoor will open the event, with HE Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, President of the Republic of Maldives delivering the keynote speech. There will be a presentation on how the Maldivian tourism industry is adapting to climate change, as well as presentations on positioning tourism in a wider socio-economic context, along with a review of policies in the Asia-Pacific region.

A Regional Ministerial Dialogue will seek to establish ways in which the tourism sector can be elevated on the national agenda as a prelude to securing the political and financial support needed by tourism leaders for advancement of the sector and the greater national socio-economic landscape.

Launching of “Visit Maldives Year 2016” marketing campaign

Maldives Marketing&Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the Maldives tourism arm, is planning to launch a destination marketing campaign, “Visit Maldives Year 2016,” which will launch during the UNWTO conference. The main objective of this campaign is to reach the goal of increasing tourist arrivals to 1.5 million with a significant increase in tourism receipts. To reach this end, various activities are being planned for this year and next year, much to the delight of those who are fortunate enough to travel to the Maldives. So if you miss being in Maldives next month, there will still be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the activities in the coming months.

MMPRC plans to aggressively market the destination by strengthening the Maldives brand and positioning it as an exclusive tourist destination by showcasing the islands’ diversified tourism product. This will, at the same time, foster better solidarity, harmony, and wellbeing for the people of Maldives, which will have a positive trickle-down effect that can be experienced by tourists. The campaign will encourage economic growth and increase job opportunities for locals from across the country in the tourism sector, and promote the ripple effect of tourism to local communities and make the success of the campaign the responsibility of all Maldivians.

“1 Nation Coral Revival”

Immediately following the closing of the commission and conference, Maldives will hold its first ever environmental festival, “1 Nation Coral Revival,” from June 5-6, 2015. The festival will kick off to coincide with World Environment Day on June 5, 2015 and will be filled with fun activities to inspire and educate those who attend, including an adopt-a-coral program, live music, school items, and water activities such as diving, snorkeling, jet skiing, and other water sports. The event will also feature an Awareness Tent where lectures and presentations will be given on a variety of different topics by NGOs, who will also have their own stalls at the event.

“1 Nation Coral Revival” will be held at the Water Sports Beach in ViliMale, an island considered as the 5th district of Male’ city, located 2 km west of the capital. During this portion of the event, rescued coral from reclamation sites near Male’ will be planted on the VilliMale reef. This will be a chance for participants to take part in the rehabilitation of the reefs alongside major celebrities, including athletes, film&TV stars, and musicians, as well as community&government leaders, and environmental activists.

“Save the Beach,” an NGO formed up to protect the beaches of ViliMale, will be hosting this first Turquoise festival which is sure to become an annual event that will bring environmental NGOs together to educate, spread a love for the environment, and encourage participation within the community. The focal aim of the event is to establish a nurturing relationship between people and the environment.