The Maldives’ high-profile tourism partnership with Liverpool Football Club has significantly strengthened the destination’s visibility across major international markets, placing the island nation before millions of football supporters worldwide while supporting the Government’s broader strategy to expand tourism promotion and reinforce the Maldives as one of the world’s most desirable holiday destinations.
The partnership gained particular attention in April 2025 when President Dr Mohamed Muizzu attended Liverpool’s match against Everton at Anfield, where Visit Maldives branding was prominently displayed across the stadium’s advertising boards. At the same time, the Maldives maintained a strong presence across London through promotional campaigns displayed on taxis, buses and the Underground, giving the destination extensive exposure in one of its most important traditional tourism markets.
Announced in March 2025, the agreement established the Maldives as Liverpool FC’s official tourist destination partner, covering both the club’s men’s and women’s teams. The collaboration provided Visit Maldives with direct access to Liverpool’s vast international supporter base and created new opportunities to promote Maldivian resorts, guesthouses and tourism experiences to travellers across Europe, Asia and other major global markets. The original partnership period is scheduled to continue until May 2028.
Visit Maldives had projected that the partnership and associated promotional activities could attract more than 100,000 additional tourists and generate substantial tourism revenue for the country. The tourism promotion agency also estimated the investment in its UK outdoor campaign at approximately USD 2.5 million and projected returns significantly exceeding the initial promotional expenditure through increased destination visibility, travel interest and international media exposure.
The partnership produced notable engagement among Liverpool supporters. In August 2025, Visit Maldives reported a 400 percent increase in daily website traffic after an email campaign directed supporters to a dedicated page featuring holiday offers from participating Maldivian tourism properties. The initiative demonstrated the ability of the partnership to convert global football exposure into direct interest in Maldives travel products and resort experiences.
One of the most engaging promotional activities was held in December 2025, when 50 Liverpool FC members participated in a penalty shootout competition for the opportunity to win a holiday at Kandima Maldives. Nineteen-year-old Finley McGovern emerged as the winner and selected his twin sister to accompany him on the trip, transforming the tourism partnership into a personal Maldives travel experience for Liverpool supporters.
Kandima Maldives provided an attractive setting for the promotional prize, reflecting the distinctive resort experience for which the Maldives is internationally recognised. The competition helped present the country not only as a destination seen through stadium advertising and global campaigns, but as a place where travellers can experience tropical island surroundings, Maldivian hospitality and the exceptional resort lifestyle that continues to distinguish the country within the international tourism industry.
The wider tourism sector recorded historic results during the same period. The Maldives welcomed approximately 2.25 million tourists in 2025, making it the busiest tourism year recorded by the country at the time and representing an increase of nearly 200,000 visitors compared with the previous year. Maldives Monetary Authority estimates placed travel receipts at approximately USD 5.6 billion, compared with USD 4.8 billion in the preceding year.
The United Kingdom remained an important market, contributing 202,172 tourist arrivals in 2025, an increase of 11.3 percent. The strong performance reflected continued interest from British travellers while the Liverpool FC partnership provided the Maldives with an additional platform to maintain destination awareness among one of the world’s largest and most internationally connected football audiences.
China and Russia were also among the strongest contributors to overall tourism growth during the year, demonstrating the increasingly diversified nature of the Maldives’ visitor markets. Liverpool FC’s substantial international following also enabled the destination partnership to extend its promotional reach far beyond the United Kingdom and communicate the Maldives tourism brand to supporters across multiple continents.
Visit Maldives reported that the Liverpool partnership generated more than USD 17 million in annual media value, highlighting the scale of international exposure secured through the collaboration. The partnership placed Maldives branding within one of the world’s most watched sporting environments while allowing the tourism authority to connect global football audiences directly with holiday offers and Maldivian tourism businesses.
The campaign forms part of the Government’s wider efforts under President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to strengthen international tourism promotion, diversify source markets and maintain the Maldives’ position as a premium global destination. By combining traditional destination marketing with international sports partnerships, digital engagement and direct resort promotions, the Maldives has expanded the ways in which its tourism brand reaches potential travellers.
While international travel patterns remain influenced by global economic conditions, aviation connectivity and developments affecting major transit hubs, the Liverpool partnership has provided the Maldives with valuable long-term international visibility. Its strongest immediate achievement has been the scale of attention generated for the destination and the opportunity to present Maldivian resorts and tourism experiences directly to millions of potential travellers.
As the partnership continues towards its scheduled conclusion in 2028, the collaboration offers further opportunities for Visit Maldives and the tourism industry to convert worldwide football engagement into destination interest, resort bookings and repeat travel, while strengthening the Maldives’ standing as one of the most recognised and aspirational island destinations in global tourism.
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