The Maldives is taking its tourism industry directly to Russia and Central Asia with a roadshow aimed at strengthening trade ties and attracting more visitors from the region.
The National Hotels and Guesthouse Association of Maldives (NHGAM), together with Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) and the Maldives Association of Travel Agents & Tour Operators (MATATO), will hold the I AM Maldives CIS Region Roadshow 2026 in Moscow, St Petersburg and Almaty.
The roadshow will take place in Moscow on 21 September, St Petersburg on 23 September and Almaty on 25 September.
A delegation of 25 Maldivian tourism companies, representing more than 50 participants, will take part in the event. The delegation will include guesthouses, resorts, hotels, liveaboards and travel agencies.
More than 180 travel trade professionals, including tour operators, travel agents and other industry partners, are expected to attend across the three cities.
Russia remains one of the Maldives' largest tourism markets. The country welcomed 278,761 Russian visitors in 2025, an increase of 23.8 percent from the previous year.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Russia was the Maldives' second-largest source market in 2026, with 209,815 arrivals recorded by 2 September. Russian visitors accounted for 14.6 percent of total arrivals during the period.
Kazakhstan is also being targeted as a market with further growth potential. It ranked 11th among the Maldives' source markets as of June 2026, recording 18,602 arrivals and a 1.8 percent share of the market.
NHGAM President Abdulla Nasheed said the roadshow would help local tourism businesses establish direct relationships with international travel trade partners.