As the Maldives charts its course for growth in 2026, Chairperson Abdulla Ghiyas Riyaz of Visit Maldives (formerly MMPRC) delivered a striking call to action at the close of the Tourism Symposium 2025, urging stakeholders and legislators to rethink how destination marketing is funded and valued.
Held at Meerumaa Hall in Male, the full-day Futureshapers’ Workshop — organised by Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) — convened policymakers, tourism operators, media, and industry thought leaders in a bid to drive co-created strategies for the archipelago’s future as a luxury destination.
After panels on emerging global trends, luxury and yacht tourism, and market diversification, Ghiyas took the stage during the closing remarks to deliver a pointed message: “Marketing is not a cost — it is an investment.” He emphasized that Maldives’ global competitors consistently outspend it and warned that operating “smarter” has limits. To maintain its status as a premier luxury destination, Ghiyas argued, the Maldives must adopt more ambitious, strategic, and sustainable marketing investment.
From Deficit to Reform: Ghiyas’ Reshaping of Visit Maldives
Ghiyas’s remarks at the symposium reinforced broader initiatives he has led over the past year to transform the national tourism board into a more agile, performance-driven entity. At Visit Maldives’ July 2025 Annual General Meeting, he disclosed a landmark turnaround: internal reform and cost discipline reversed operating deficits and slashed non-core spending.
Key changes include a more than 10 % reduction in recurring expenses and a dramatic reallocation of the organisation’s trade show budget — shrinking it from 80 % to 34 % of total spend. Ghiyas said these moves free up resources for campaigns and initiatives with measurable outcomes, particularly in top source markets.
He also flagged a shift to performance-based public relations, setting clear KPIs and accountability for PR agencies — a departure from past practice where agency contracts often lacked measurable deliverables.
The results so far are promising. Ghiyas pointed to a rebound in the Indian market — now growing at 4 %, after a recent 39 % decline — and a tenfold surge in Google search interest for Maldives across Europe and Asia.
Symposium’s Strategic Agenda and Next Steps
Throughout Symposium 2025, discussions ranged from traveler persona insights (led by Sarah Mathews of e-Tourism Frontiers) to presentations of VMC’s Ocean Nation strategy for 2026. Panel sessions covered luxury offerings, atoll- and guesthouse-level tourism, and boating and superyacht experiences. Market updates were delivered for major source regions—including India, China, Russia, Germany, the UK, Italy, the U.S., France, and the Middle East.
Following the event, Visit Maldives will compile symposium notes, survey results, and stakeholder recommendations into a comprehensive report, due by mid-October 2025. That document will guide the formulation of the 2026 tourism strategy and coordinate industry action.
At the close, Ghiyas echoed a clarion call to legislators and industry: in a dynamic global marketplace, investing boldly in destination marketing isn’t optional — it is essential. His message signals that, under his leadership, Maldives tourism may be entering a more assertive phase of strategic branding and outreach.
