Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) has partnered with the National Hotels and Guesthouse Association of Maldives (NHGAM) to organise the “I AM Maldives” Roadshow 2025 in Central and Eastern Europe, a focused initiative designed to strengthen the Maldives’ presence in three key emerging markets: Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic. Delivered in collaboration with the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), the campaign is positioned to deepen industry engagement and drive demand from the region’s outbound travel sector.
The roadshow is being staged in Warsaw on 17 November, Bucharest on 19 November, and Prague on 21 November, bringing together travel industry professionals, agencies, tour operators, and media representatives under a unified Maldives branding. A total of 26 exhibitors including leading resorts, hotels, guesthouses, liveaboards, and travel agencies are participating, presenting the full spectrum of Maldivian tourism, with a particular spotlight on the resort segment as the flagship of the country’s premium hospitality offering.
Resort representatives are leveraging the platform to highlight the Maldives’ signature luxury experiences, from private island retreats and overwater villas to high-end wellness, spa and culinary concepts tailored to discerning European travellers. Participating properties are presenting a wide range of products, including family-friendly resorts with comprehensive kids’ facilities, adults-only hideaways designed for couples, and lifestyle-oriented resorts that combine beach leisure with diving, water sports, cultural excursions and curated experiences. Through detailed presentations and targeted business meetings, resort sales teams are positioning the Maldives as a versatile destination suitable for honeymooners, families, groups and high-net-worth individuals seeking personalised, high-value stays.
“The response from the Polish travel community has been exceptional,” said Abdulla Nasheed, President of NHGAM. “We are witnessing genuine enthusiasm for the authentic Maldivian experience — from community-led tourism on local islands to world-class resort stays. This roadshow provides an opportunity to showcase the diversity of the Maldives while building relationships that support long-term business growth.” His remarks reflect the strong interest shown by Polish partners in both the traditional resort model and the growing segment of integrated itineraries that combine resort stays with local island experiences, offering travellers greater variety and deeper engagement with Maldivian culture.
From an industry perspective, the “I AM Maldives” Roadshow is structured as a trade-focused platform featuring curated destination presentations, one-to-one B2B meetings and networking sessions. Exhibitors are using the forum to discuss rate strategies, contracting cycles, seasonal campaigns and joint marketing opportunities with Central and Eastern European partners. Key segments of the Warsaw event included sessions on community-based tourism, the variety of accommodation options across the Maldives, and the strategic importance of the CEE region to the Maldives’ long-term tourism development. Participants also exchanged insights on traveller behaviour, booking patterns and emerging niche segments such as wellness travel, experiential luxury and multi-generational family holidays.
“The ‘I AM Maldives’ Roadshow represents our strategic focus on emerging European markets that continue to show strong growth potential,” said Ibrahim Shiuree, CEO and Managing Director of Visit Maldives Corporation. “By strengthening partnerships and increasing awareness among regional travel trade partners, we aim to inspire more travellers from Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic to experience the Maldives’ unique blend of natural beauty, culture, and luxury.” Shiuree underlined that the initiative is closely aligned with the national tourism target of achieving 2.3 million tourist arrivals in 2025, with Central and Eastern Europe viewed as a key contributor to that goal.
Current performance indicators support this strategic emphasis. As of 30 September 2025, arrivals from Central and Eastern Europe totalled 86,860 visitors, already surpassing the 86,574 recorded for the same period in 2024. Within the region, Poland stands out as a pivotal market, currently recording the highest number of tourist arrivals to the Maldives from Central and Eastern Europe after Russia. By the end of September 2025, arrivals from Poland reached 23,089, followed by 17,779 from the Czech Republic and 13,824 from Romania. Over the same period, total arrivals to the Maldives stood at 1,636,489, underscoring the region’s growing role in supporting the broader tourism industry.
This year’s edition in Warsaw marks the second instalment of the I AM Maldives roadshow concept, following the success of the inaugural campaign held in Georgia and Azerbaijan. The Warsaw event brought together 26 Maldivian tourism representatives and more than 50 Polish travel industry professionals, creating a concentrated setting for substantive business discussions. For resorts, the format offers an efficient channel to introduce new inventory, promote refurbishments and repositioned brands, and launch joint tactical offers designed for the Central and Eastern European clientele, particularly for winter escapes and shoulder-season travel.
Beyond sales and marketing, the roadshow has a strong knowledge-sharing component. The programme includes destination training sessions to equip travel agents and tour operators with updated information on new resort openings, enhanced connectivity, regulatory requirements, and emerging product segments. Organisers are also using the events in Warsaw, Bucharest and Prague to collect feedback on traveller expectations, preferred resort attributes, package configurations and price sensitivities, enabling Maldivian stakeholders to refine their offerings and marketing strategies for these markets.
The “I AM Maldives” Roadshow will continue to Bucharest on 19 November and conclude in Prague on 21 November. Through sustained engagement across these three cities, Visit Maldives Corporation, NHGAM, MATATO and participating partners aim to consolidate the Maldives’ position as a premier long-haul resort destination for Central and Eastern European travellers, deepen trade relationships, and contribute meaningfully to the shared objective of welcoming 2.3 million visitors to the Maldives in 2025.
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