Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has joined a high-level Maldivian delegation visiting Russia this week as part of efforts to attract more Russian tourists and expand air connectivity between the two countries.
The delegation is visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg from August 17 to 21, with meetings planned with airlines, government institutions, tour operators and other travel industry partners.
The visit brings together representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Visit Maldives Corporation, MACL, national carrier Maldivian, Resort Life Travel, In Tour Maldives and other tourism industry stakeholders.
Russia remains one of the Maldives’ most important source markets, making stronger air links a central part of efforts to sustain and increase arrivals from the country.
During meetings in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the delegation will explore opportunities to strengthen the Maldives’ presence in the Russian travel market and work more closely with companies that promote and sell Maldivian holidays.
For MACL, a major focus of the visit will be discussions with existing and prospective airline partners.
The airport operator is seeking opportunities to increase flight frequencies and seat capacity on existing routes, strengthen year-round connectivity and explore the possibility of introducing additional direct services between Russia and Velana International Airport.
The discussions are expected to examine both existing passenger demand and areas where additional airline capacity could be supported by closer cooperation between airlines, tour operators and destination marketing partners.
Meetings with Russian tour operators and travel companies will also provide an opportunity to identify emerging travel trends and areas of growing demand.
Greater coordination between destination promotion and airline capacity is particularly important for the Maldives, where international tourism depends almost entirely on air connectivity.
Russia has developed into a major market for the Maldivian tourism industry over recent years, supported by strong demand for leisure travel and direct air services connecting the two countries.
Maintaining adequate flight capacity, particularly during periods of high demand, is therefore important not only for tourist arrivals but also for resorts, tour operators and other businesses across the tourism industry.
The Russia engagement forms part of a wider effort by Maldivian authorities and industry stakeholders to work directly with major source markets rather than focusing solely on destination promotion.
It follows a similar high-level delegation visit to China in July, when Maldivian representatives travelled to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu for discussions with airlines, tour operators, travel companies and other industry partners.
During the China visit, discussions covered destination marketing, travel packages tailored to Chinese travellers, cooperation with travel trade partners and opportunities to improve direct air links between China and the Maldives.
China and Russia are both key markets for the Maldivian tourism industry, making air connectivity with the two countries an important part of efforts to maintain growth in visitor arrivals.
For MACL, the strategy involves working directly with airlines alongside tourism authorities and private-sector partners to ensure that increases in travel demand are matched by sufficient capacity into Velana International Airport.
The airport has undergone a major expansion in recent years, most notably with the development of its new international passenger terminal, increasing the infrastructure available to accommodate future passenger and airline growth.
MACL is also working to broaden VIA’s international network by engaging airlines on new destinations and additional frequencies on existing routes.
The ongoing visit to Russia is expected to build on that strategy, with the delegation seeking to translate the Maldives’ strong popularity among Russian travellers into greater airline capacity, closer travel trade partnerships and sustained growth in arrivals.
