The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) is representing the Maldives at Qatar Travel Mart (QTM), held from 24 to 26 November in Doha, positioning the island nation prominently before key trade buyers and high-value travellers from Qatar and the wider GCC region. As lead organiser of the Maldives delegation, MATATO is hosting the official Maldives stand in partnership with Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) as Official Destination Partner and the National Hotels and Guest House Association of Maldives (NHGAM) as Strategic Partner. This collaboration strengthens the country’s visibility at an exhibition that now attracts more than 300 exhibitors from 60 countries and around 12,000 visitors, underlining QTM’s status as a rapidly growing regional travel marketplace.
According to VMC, the Maldives stand has been designed as a unified national platform that brings together tourism policy, private sector stakeholders, and community-based tourism operators under one roof. VMC, as the official destination marketing body, anchors the pavilion with the national “Maldives” brand and long-term market strategies tailored to GCC consumer trends, while MATATO leads and coordinates the trade delegation, curating business-to-business meetings, networking programmes and media engagements for Maldivian partners. NHGAM complements this structure by ensuring that guesthouses and local island tourism a core priority under the Fifth Tourism Master Plan 2023–2027 are promoted alongside resorts and high-end destination management companies. This tripartite model reflects national tourism policy objectives: to diversify source markets, deepen yield from existing markets, and distribute tourism benefits more equitably from resort islands into inhabited communities.
The Maldives stand at QTM features over ten co-exhibitors, representing a broad cross-section of the country’s tourism value chain. Leading destination management companies such as Resort Life Travel, Neoscapes Maldives and Pearl Travel Service are using the event to strengthen their Qatar and GCC outbound business pipelines, offering tailored itineraries for families, couples, and premium leisure segments. Ultra Luxury Maldives and other lifestyle-focused brands are showcasing bespoke private jet, villa and yacht experiences aimed at high-net-worth guests seeking exclusive, high-spend stays in the Maldives. Together, the co-exhibitors present a comprehensive portfolio of Maldivian products – from ultra-luxury resort escapes and curated multi-island journeys to authentic local island guesthouse stays that appeal strongly to younger, experience-driven travellers.
Within this line-up, Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort is emerging as one of the standout resort propositions for the GCC market. Located on Fares Island in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll, the five-star property is the first Avani-branded resort in the Maldives and has quickly built a reputation for contemporary, laid-back luxury that resonates strongly with family and lifestyle travellers from the region. The resort offers a wide mix of accommodation options from stylish premium rooms to spacious beach pool villas, multi-bedroom beach pavilions and expansive over-water residences giving Qatar and GCC visitors flexibility to choose configurations that suit couples, multigenerational families or groups of friends travelling together.
Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort is also well-positioned for travellers seeking immersive experiences. Situated in a renowned marine area close to world-famous sites such as Hanifaru Bay, the resort offers exceptional diving and snorkelling, with opportunities to encounter manta rays, whale sharks and vibrant reef life throughout much of the year. Beyond the underwater attractions, guests can enjoy a robust portfolio of activities including watersports, kitesurfing, wellness and spa treatments, and a strong family offering through dedicated kids’ facilities and programming, aligning with GCC preferences for high-quality family-oriented beach destinations. This experience-led positioning has been reinforced by industry recognition, with Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort recently receiving accolades such as Best Beach Resort at the Travel Trade Maldives Awards 2025, following its earlier recognition as Best Dive Resort in 2024 and other sustainability and guest satisfaction awards.
For Qatari and regional buyers, connectivity and convenience are also critical factors, and Avani+ Fares Maldives responds directly to this demand. The resort can be reached by a scenic seaplane transfer from Velana International Airport, allowing guests to arrive at the property shortly after landing in Malé and begin their stay with minimal transit time – a key consideration for short-stay GCC travellers. Once on the island, the combination of modern amenities, high-touch service, privacy and family-friendly facilities positions Avani+ Fares as an attractive option for Eid holidays, long weekends and extended stays alike. With QTM gathering influential tour operators, travel agencies, and corporate travel decision-makers from across the region, MATATO’s promotion of Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort and other Maldivian partners at the official Maldives stand is expected to translate into stronger bookings, deeper trade relationships and expanded visibility for the Maldives across Qatar and the wider GCC market in the seasons ahead.
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