A prominent tourism and investment forum held on June 16, 2025, in New York brought the Maldives to the forefront of global attention, as representatives from the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives) and the Permanent Mission of the Maldives to the United Nations delivered a compelling showcase of the island nation’s tourism potential and investment opportunities.
The Maldives was represented by a distinguished delegation, including the Special Envoy of the President of the Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan. Joining him were Abdulla Ghiyas Riyaz, Chairperson of the MMPRC Board of Directors, and Ibrahim Shiuree, CEO and Managing Director of MMPRC. Their collective presence highlighted the government’s dedication to strengthening international cooperation and expanding the Maldives’ footprint in high-value markets such as the United States.
Held in one of the world’s major financial and cultural capitals, the event was strategically positioned to attract key tourism and investment stakeholders. The forum served as an essential platform to present the Maldives as an economically progressive and investor-friendly destination, with particular emphasis on the long-term sustainability and diversification of its tourism sector.
During the forum, MMPRC delivered a dynamic video presentation that captured the audience’s attention. The visual showcase highlighted the Maldives’ unique offerings as a tourism destination, ranging from its pristine natural beauty and luxury resorts to its community-based guesthouse sector and niche tourism experiences. The presentation also underscored partnership opportunities available through Visit Maldives, aimed at fostering innovative collaborations across hospitality, infrastructure, and eco-tourism development.
The United States continues to play a vital role in the Maldives’ tourism landscape. In 2024, the U.S. ranked as the seventh largest source market for tourist arrivals to the Maldives, and currently stands in the eighth position in 2025. Recognising this, MMPRC has implemented a series of targeted promotional campaigns to further engage with American audiences and travel industry partners. These initiatives include participation in the Travel and Adventure Show, hosting a Discover Maldives Webinar, and organizing a successful familiarisation trip for U.S. travel agents and influencers earlier this year.
The forum also served to communicate the Maldives’ openness to sustainable, long-term tourism investments, with a focus on mutual growth and innovation. By actively engaging with global investors and travel leaders, the Maldives reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining its status as a world-class destination while continuously exploring new avenues for responsible tourism development.
Visit Maldives’ participation in this New York-based event reflects the nation’s broader strategy to forge high-impact global partnerships and ensure the continued vibrancy of its tourism industry, an industry that contributes over 70% of the country’s foreign exchange earnings and nearly one-third of its GDP.
As MMPRC continues its efforts to position the Maldives not only as a holiday paradise but also as a destination of strategic value for tourism partnerships and investments, this engagement in New York is a testament to the Maldives’ proactive outreach and its vision for inclusive and sustainable growth across the sector.
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