Visit Maldives Corporation has partnered with Hey Travellers Private Limited to promote the Maldives as a leading virtual tourism destination through the Loopcraft gaming platform, expanding the country’s destination marketing efforts across emerging digital channels and interactive technologies.
The partnership agreement was signed by Ibrahim Shiuree, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Visit Maldives Corporation, and Nasru Dean, Managing Director of Hey Travellers Private Limited. The collaboration represents a progressive approach to tourism promotion by combining virtual destination exploration with interactive, tourism-themed gameplay designed to reach audiences worldwide.
Hey Travellers is a Maldivian digital and gaming company and the developer of the Hey Travellers gaming application, which was created with the support of Loopcraft. The platform combines virtual destination experiences with interactive travel simulation, enabling users to discover the natural beauty, hospitality and distinctive resort experiences of the Maldives through an engaging digital environment.
The highly interactive travel simulation game allows users to explore virtual representations of real Maldivian resorts, complete tourism-related quests, collect points and stand a chance to win resort stays. Players can create customised avatars, navigate authentic resort environments and design their own dream island resort, providing an imaginative introduction to the Maldives’ globally recognised island tourism concept.
Through the platform, potential travellers can gain a closer understanding of the Maldives’ resort experience before making travel decisions. The virtual environments are expected to showcase the distinctive features that define Maldivian resorts, including private island settings, pristine beaches, turquoise lagoons, overwater and beachfront accommodation, personalised hospitality, recreational activities and premium guest services.
Maldivian resorts are internationally recognised for providing peaceful and exclusive island experiences, with each property offering its own architectural character, natural environment and collection of services. By recreating these environments digitally, the gaming platform can introduce users to the diversity of the country’s tourism product while encouraging them to explore different accommodation concepts and island destinations.
The integration of Visit Maldives branding within the platform will strengthen the country’s visibility among global digital audiences. The initiative will leverage interactive storytelling and innovative technology to present the Maldives in a format that reflects changing patterns of media consumption, particularly among younger travellers, solo travellers and digitally engaged audiences.
The collaboration will also create new opportunities for users to engage with the Maldives through virtual exploration and tourism-focused gameplay. Rather than relying solely on conventional promotional content, players will be able to interact with destination features, undertake activities and develop a greater understanding of the Maldives as a travel destination through participation and discovery.
Ibrahim Shiuree said the innovative initiative would provide access to an entirely new and dynamic audience segment, particularly younger generations and solo travellers seeking meaningful travel experiences through digital platforms.
He noted that the global reach of digital channels would enable Visit Maldives to engage potential travellers in a more immersive and meaningful manner, allowing them to experience the destination through an approach aligned with how younger audiences consume content. He added that the initiative would strengthen destination visibility among digital-first audiences while creating new pathways for travel inspiration and consideration beyond traditional marketing channels.
Under the partnership, Hey Travellers Private Limited will provide regular analytics and engagement reports covering user interactions, audience reach, application downloads and campaign performance. These insights will help Visit Maldives Corporation assess the effectiveness of the initiative and support data-driven planning for future digital tourism campaigns.
The use of measurable audience and performance data will also allow the partners to better understand how users interact with virtual resort environments and tourism-related content. This information can contribute to the development of more targeted promotional strategies and help ensure that future digital campaigns respond effectively to changing traveller interests and international market trends.
The agreement includes opportunities for future collaboration on events, promotional campaigns and marketing activities. It also designates Visit Maldives as the exclusive destination partner within the Loopcraft application, providing a dedicated platform through which the Maldives can be promoted using interactive digital experiences and virtual tourism initiatives.
The partnership reflects the Government’s continued support for innovation, digital transformation and the diversification of destination marketing. By supporting collaboration between the national tourism promotion body and a Maldivian digital enterprise, the initiative also highlights the potential of local technology companies to contribute to the development and international promotion of the country’s tourism industry.
Through the strategic use of gaming, virtual tourism and performance analytics, Visit Maldives Corporation is strengthening the Maldives’ position as a forward-looking destination while maintaining the appeal of its world-renowned resort experience. The initiative is expected to inspire future travel, expand engagement with new audience segments and further enhance the Maldives’ visibility across the global digital tourism landscape.
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