Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) is conducting research to provide a much-needed refresh to its branding “Maldives…the sunny side of life”, which was launched in 2003.
Since then, with a shift towards greater engagement in experiential travel, associated sub-brands were launched to promote the diversified tourism experiences.
The Maldives is primarily positioned in the market as a high-end luxury destination known for its “one-island- one-resort” concept. As the destination evolved, the tourism product diversified with an increasing need for a functional marketing approach to promote the additional features of the brand such as resorts, liveaboards, guest houses and hotels warranting a different approach.
Thoyyib Mohamed, Managing Director of MMPRC, said: “It is timely to be sending out a strong and consistent brand message. Professional brand guidelines will greatly enhance the effectiveness of our marketing communications to various target segments and help our tireless efforts in promoting the Maldives during these unprecedented times.”
The Maldives is an island nation made up of 1,190 islands geographically dispersed across the ocean. Renowned for the “one-island-one-resort” concept, tourists from all over the world visit to enjoy the pristine natural environment, world class services, privacy and seclusion. With the Covid-19 tourism regulations in place, and naturally distanced islands allowing for more privacy, Maldives is believed to be one of the safest holiday destinations.
Maldives officially reopened its borders for international tourists on July 15, 2020, with resorts, liveaboards and hotels located at uninhabited islands to opening first, followed by guesthouses and hotels located at inhabited islands.
The island country relies heavily on the tourism industry as it accounts for the largest foreign exchange earnings, making it the biggest economic contributor in the country. After a complete standstill brought on by Covid-19, the country’s tourism industry has been gearing up to restart; it is set to resume in compliance to protective measures, taking into account the safety of tourists and staff working in the industry.
The guidelines for reopening the tourism sector, “Public Health Interventions to Prevent Covid-19 Transmission in the Tourism Sector”, was also released late last month by the Ministry of Tourism, giving comprehensive information for all sectors across the tourism industry on their standard operating procedures, as well as important information to tourists.
According to the guidelines, tourists are not required to pay an additional fee, produce a certificate or test result indicative of negative status for Covid-19 prior to entry into Maldives. For tourists without symptoms, there is no requirement for quarantine either.
Travellers who have a history of contact with a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19 within the past 14 days and persons who have fever or respiratory symptoms such as cough, sore throat, shortness of breath within the past 14 days are advised not to travel to Maldives.
A confirmed booking in a tourist establishment registered with the Ministry of Tourism, prior to travelling is mandatory. Tourists who are visiting Maldives during phase 1 of opening shall book their entire stay in one registered establishment. Stays at multiple resorts and hotels are not permitted during this period. However, exemptions will be made for transit arrangements.
All passengers should submit a health declaration card upon arrival, completed onboard the aircraft. As per border health and aviation procedure, if a passenger has fever, cough or shortness of breath on board the flight it should be informed to the Health Protection Agency.
Tourists travelling to Maldives will be provided a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival. Travel advisors should get details on https://www.tourism.gov.mv/ed information