Maldives Holiday Collections (MHC Group) has successfully facilitated and delivered the Maldives production of MasterChef Sri Lanka, bringing one of the world’s most recognised culinary television formats to an outdoor island setting. The special destination episode combines culinary entertainment with Maldivian cuisine, culture and hospitality, while demonstrating the local expertise required to host a complex international production.
The project brought an extensive contingent to the Maldives, including the programme’s judges, host, contestants, production crew and technical teams. Alongside their arrival came the equipment and infrastructure needed to recreate the MasterChef competition experience, requiring detailed planning across travel, hospitality, logistics and production support.
For MHC Group, the undertaking extended well beyond hosting a television programme. Teams across multiple functions worked together under demanding timelines, responding to unfamiliar technical requirements and coordinating the practical arrangements needed to deliver the production within the Maldives’ island environment.
MHC managed international travel, accommodation and local transportation, as well as the importation and movement of cameras, technical equipment and production materials. At the filming location, its team worked alongside the production crew to transform an outdoor space into a functional culinary competition setting, developing individual cooking stations and kitchen decks, coordinating equipment and ingredients, and supporting operations throughout filming.
Ahmed Shaushaan Shafeeq, Managing Director of Maldives Holiday Collections, described the achievement as the result of months of work that audiences would only partly see on screen. “What viewers eventually see on screen is only a small part of what it takes to make a production of this scale happen,” he said. Behind the finished episode were extensive arrangements involving customs clearances, transportation, accommodation, equipment movements, construction and continuous problem-solving.
Shafeeq explained that the team encountered new requirements alongside last-minute changes and operational challenges. He praised employees for stepping beyond their usual responsibilities, supporting colleagues and maintaining their focus on completing the project. Their willingness to adapt, he said, was a particular source of pride.
Delivering the production required close coordination among teams and stakeholders, with MHC contributing the destination knowledge and operational infrastructure necessary to manage filming across an island setting. The experience highlighted the importance of understanding local conditions while meeting the expectations of an international television format.
Hifnaz Jiffrey, Group CEO of MHC Group, said the opportunity was significant both for the organisation and for the Maldives. Although the production involved unfamiliar territory and numerous moving parts, he explained that the team approached each challenge with a shared determination to find solutions and deliver the project.
“Food is one of the few truly global languages,” Jiffrey said. He described MasterChef as an opportunity to present Maldivian cuisine, people and hospitality alongside the country’s capacity to deliver world-class experiences. In his view, collaborations of this kind can create wider opportunities for the Maldives and the surrounding region.
The episode also offers a platform to broaden the international understanding of the destination. While resorts, beaches and the marine environment remain central to the Maldives’ global appeal, culinary heritage provides another way to connect visitors with local ingredients, traditions and communities. Bringing these elements into a recognised entertainment format allows the country’s cultural identity to become part of the destination experience.
Ali Sujuaan, Director of Sales and Marketing at MHC, highlighted the potential for international productions to introduce audiences to experiences beyond the familiar image of a Maldivian holiday. He said projects such as MasterChef can showcase the country’s food, culture and people while opening possibilities across tourism, culinary experiences, events, entertainment and brand collaborations. He expressed hope that the production would become a starting point for further initiatives.
The project also reflects Legend & Beyond’s broader commitment to strengthening connections across the Indian Ocean. With operations and business interests spanning the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, the Group sees opportunities for regional organisations to combine their expertise, networks and commercial strengths.
The MasterChef production provided a practical example of this approach, bringing Sri Lankan production and culinary talent together with Maldivian hospitality, destination knowledge and operational capabilities. Jiffrey explained that viewing Sri Lanka and the Maldives as connected partners can create opportunities that extend beyond what either market could achieve independently.
“When Sri Lankan creativity and talent come together with Maldivian hospitality, destination expertise and natural beauty, we can create something that neither country could create in quite the same way alone,” he said.
For MHC Group, the successful delivery also demonstrates the capabilities available within the Maldives to support international productions, events and destination experiences. Filming across islands involves distinct challenges in customs, transportation, infrastructure, accommodation and technical coordination. The project showed how local expertise, strong partnerships and detailed planning can bring these requirements together.
The Group believes the experience can support further discussions about international television productions, destination events, culinary experiences, corporate activations and creative collaborations. Jiffrey emphasised that the value of the project extends beyond a single completed episode, pointing to the potential for future productions to generate economic activity, develop local capabilities and introduce Maldivian stories to wider audiences.
Behind the achievement were employees working across operations, logistics, hospitality, transportation, finance, procurement, sales and production support. Many responded to unexpected requirements and resolved challenges in real time, making contributions that would remain largely unseen by television audiences.
“This achievement belongs to the entire team,” Shafeeq said, acknowledging the commitment of those working behind the scenes. He stressed that the production could not have happened without their efforts, describing their contribution as the foundation of the Group’s pride in the project.
The successful completion of the Maldives production adds to MHC Group’s experience as it expands its capabilities across tourism, hospitality, marine experiences, events, technology and destination services. It also provides a distinctive opportunity to promote the Maldives through food, connecting its established tourism appeal with the culture and expertise that shape the visitor experience.
Maldives Holiday Collections is the Group’s Maldivian tourism and destination services entity, providing local expertise across destination management, marine tourism, logistics, hospitality and experiential travel. Through its tourism portfolio, including Maldives Legend, MHC continues to develop experiences that showcase the Maldives to international markets.
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