Director, Marketing and E-commerce of Public Service Media (PSM) Ibrahim Nasreen has stated that the idea of the World Travel Writers Conference 2017 (WTWC) was to give an alternative approach to market Maldives as a tourist destination.
Maldives hosted its first World Travel Writers Conference in Bandos Island Resort on September 17, followed by a gala night on the 18, at Adaaran Hudhuranfushi. It was organised by Maldives TV, which is the first international TV channel of the country.
Speaking on Talk Maldives TV programme, aired on PSM News, the Director, Marketing and E-commerce of PSM said that the conference was conceived as an initiative to provide an alternative platform to market Maldives as a tourist destination. Ibrahim Nasreen said that Maldives as a tourist destination needs the storytelling method of promotion as it looks to expand as a destination to incorporate more facets of tourism. He added that new media and social media promotion is a rather good approach to promote Maldives as a destination.
Speaking on the programme, Creative Director and Manager of Maldives TV Samhaan Hameed said that the conference was well received by participants, who included social media influencers, writers, bloggers, and photographers. Samhaan Hameed said each participant of the conference have a huge follower base which would boost the Maldives as a destination through stories of their experience. He said Maldives TV is all about promoting the country authentically and that holding the conference was a huge success.
WTWC 2017 brought together 19 participants from 10 nationalities, who held panel discussion on how a destination can be promoted through social media, storytelling and photography. The second edition of the World Travel Writers Conference 2018 will be held in April, with the location yet to be announced.