Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) together with 12 representatives from 08 companies from the tourism industry of Maldives are taking part in the East Mediterranean International Travel and Tourism Exhibition 2019 (EMITT) held in Istanbul, Turkey from January 31 to February 3.
EMITT is one of the biggest travel trade shows in the East Mediterranean region and one of the top five tourism exhibitions worldwide, with tourism industry representatives from all over the world participating and showcasing their own products. EMITT attracts over 54,000 industry professionals and tourists annually, and enables exhibitors to meet professional national and international visitors, a business platform that provides new business and corporation opportunities to the sector. Last year, the fair recorded 54,364 visitors and 1,065 exhibitors.
This year, the brand new design of Maldives displays various aspects of the destination through colourful images. Activities at the stand includes gourmet food tasting of local flavours of Maldivian snacks. Other highlights of activities also include, experience of Maldives through virtual reality, with colourful underwater flora and fauna, swim with whale sharks or the serene sunny beaches of the Maldives.
Turkish market has shown an increase in the overall outbound travel and a slow but steady growth in arrivals since the commencement of flights from Turkish Airlines to Maldives in November 2012. By the end of 2018, a total of, 10,129 tourists have arrived Maldives.
Maldives participation at EMITT 2019 gives the opportunity to provide up to date information on the destination to potential visitors and operators to help promote the destination in the Turkish market. EMITT has been a successful platform to showcase the Maldives tourism in the past.