Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has revealed that it taking part in the TTG Travel Experience 2022 to market the Maldives as a tourist destination in the Italian market.
TTG 2022 will be held from October 12-14 in Rimini, Italy, with 22 industry partners taking part alongside MMPRC. Participation in the fair will help maintain a destination presence in the Italian market and provide countless promotional and networking opportunities for the Maldives tourism industry stakeholders, according to MMPRC.
TTG will be organised by the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) and is one of the leading B2B fairs to sell tourism products, offering the chance to network, make new contracts, and exchange views and ideas. The fair provides the biggest platform in Italy where tourism exhibitors can connect, negotiate, and network with all the main Italian travel agencies, tour operators, and other tourism professionals. The aim of the event is to market the destination’s safety and promote the unique geography of the scattered islands of the Maldives.
Furthermore, MMPRC said the event will help market tourism products, namely resorts, guesthouses, liveaboards, hotels and the unique services and experiences available in the Maldives for tourists. Through the fair, MMPRC and industry partners will be able to share the latest travel guidelines and information about the destination for the travel trade and travellers from this market and around the world.
The Italian market is traditionally strong, being the third top source market in 2019. Italian travellers were also the first group of tourists that arrived in the Maldives over 50 years ago. Marketing activities in Italy capitalise on the generational affinity that Italians have for the Maldives, reminiscing on the memories of parents and grandparents who have spent their holiday in the Maldives. There has been significant growth in ease of travel restrictions in Italy following the COVID-19 pandemic. As of October 10, the Maldives has welcomed 70,943 tourists from Italy placing Italy as the top fifth source market. The Maldives has seen over 1.2 million tourists in total so far this year.
MMPRC has conducted several high-profile activities for the Italian market this year including campaigns with Lonely Planet, Alpitour, Sporting Vacanze, Bluvacanze, and Mediamond. They have also taken part in BIT Milan 2022 to promote the Maldives in the Italian market. Ongoing campaigns include a campaign with Turismo & Attualità and Green Me, and further social media campaigns are planned for the rest of the year.