MALE, the Maldives, 21 June 2021: Visit Maldives collaborated with National Geographic Traveller Russia to open a photo exhibition in Moscow and St Petersburg, two major cities in Russia.
The physical exhibition continues until the end of July at Moscow’s Tverskoy Boulevard and in Kirov Central Park in St Petersburg.
The Maldives is one of the few holiday destinations in Asia that has successfully reopened and sustained a tourism influx while containing the pandemic. Russia is one of the main markets that Visit Maldives had tapped since the reopening in July 2020.
Commenting on the photo exhibition, the national tourism agency said it estimated a footfall of around 3-5 million people at the two sites during the exhibition weeks.
The exhibition features photos showcasing the breathtaking natural scenery of the Maldives and the local island lifestyle. Photos highlight the natural beauty of the islands and experiences such as diving with whale sharks, flying a seaplane and surfing the majestic waves of Maldives.
The message to gravel consumers in the two Russian cities presents the destination as a safe haven due to the unique natural geography that socially distances the islands of Maldives.
The exhibition follows Visit Maldives’ invitation to the renowned photographer Ivan Dementievsky earlier this year. Some photographs by local photographers also feature in the exhibition.
Several initiatives are underway to market the Maldives in Russia on offline and online platforms involving collaboration with media and key stakeholders.
They follow Visit Maldives’ presence at the MITT 2021, the largest travel trade show in Russia, hosted in March 2021. Notably, Maldives won the ‘Best Island Presentation’ and ‘Bright Exhibiting Award’ during this fair. Visit Maldives also hosted a roadshow in four major Russian cities to promote the Maldives as the most preferred holiday destination for Russian travellers.
Similarly, Visit Maldives also took part in the Moscow Dive Show and joined Russia’s popular Luxury Travel Mart 2021 (LTM) in April 2021.
In addition, Visit Maldives is conducting a global campaign targeting Russia in collaboration with Expedia. It also supports an educational and training programme targeting Russia’s travel trade under the banner of the Association of Tour Operators in Russia (ATOR).
Russia is the largest source market of tourist arrivals to the Maldives. As of 2 June 2021, Maldives welcomed 107,102 Russian tourists. With direct flight connectivity between Russia and Maldives through Aeroflot and ease of travel guidelines to the Maldives, the Russian market plays an incremental role in achieving pre-pandemic arrival figures. The Maldives welcomed 479,597 travellers so far in 2021.
The Maldives reopened its borders for tourists of all nationalities on 15 July 2020, with rigorous procedures to ensure the safety of tourists and tourism workers.
Tourists are required to fill an online health declaration form within 24 hours prior to their departure, as well as have a negative PCR test result conducted 96 hours prior to their departure.
