The High Commission of the Maldives in Singapore has co-hosted Destination Maldives Webinar with the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS). The webinar was organised by the high commission and the NATAS, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives.
During the webinar, the Maldives reiterated its preparedness and readiness to welcome Singaporean tourists, as Singapore prepares to re-open its borders for the Maldives. The webinar also provided an important platform to brief Singapore's tourism industry on the new guidelines and safety protocols in place for international tourists arriving in the Maldives. The discussions also focused on how to collaborate with tourism stakeholders in the Maldives and build a closer relationship with Singapore's travel trade partners.
Speaking at the webinar, High Commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb reiterated that Singapore is an important contributor with huge potential for the economic recovery of the Maldives, noting that increasing tourist arrivals has been a key priority of the government since the setback from the COVID 19. Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) Thoyyib Mohamed, Deputy Minister of Tourism Dr. Naushad Mohamed, and the President of Guest House Association of the Maldives (GAM) Abdulla Nasheed also spoke at the webinar.
In the concluding remarks, Deputy High Commissioner Eman Hussain noted the webinar is a useful first step towards enhancing B2B relations between Singapore travel agents and Maldivian partners and thanked the foreign ministry and other government agencies, as well as NATAS and Maldivian tourism industry partners for their productive participation in the webinar. The Maldives looks forward to welcoming Singapore back to the sunny side of life soon, she said.
The webinar supports the continued efforts of the government to build a stronger, more sustainable, and resilient tourism economy and to do so in coordination with close partners.