Familiarization Trip Hosted By MMPRC For Journalists From Key Publication In The Russian & CIS Market

Traditionally, the Russian market is one of the strongest markets to the Maldives and has been performing exceptionally well post the border reopening since last year as well. At present, it stands as the top market in terms of arrivals to the country whereas markets from the CIS such as Ukraine and Kazakhstan have been showing growth in terms of arrivals. Accordingly, Kazakhstan has been amongst the top ten in terms of arrivals consequent to the commencement of direct flights from Almaty by Air Astana at the end of last year.

To further boost arrivals from the Russian & CIS region, Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) is hosting key journalists from the Russia & CIS region on a familiarization trip. The Maldives will be showcased to them as a safe haven for travelers along with stress on the unique experiences in the Maldives with a specific focus on luxury and eco-initiatives of the destination.

Journalists from Kazakhstan were in town from 5^th to 12^th February which included chief editors from Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Esquire and Harper’s Bazaar – all of which have a huge circulation and reach in the market. They were hosted by Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort and Spa for the first half of their stay experiencing activities such as sustainable initiatives implemented by the property, tasting signature cuisines in unique locations, snorkeling, water sports and cultural activities. During the remaining half, the team stayed at Kuramathi Maldives and has the opportunity to visit the Eco Center experience, a guided tour of the house reed and the signature spa in Kuramathi Maldives.

The media team which arrived from Russia just yesterday includes chief editors from top publications such as KP.ru, RIA and Hello Russia. They will also get to experience similar luxury and eco-initiatives offered in the host properties. For the first half of their stay, they will also be hosted by Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort and Spa whereas, for the latter half, they will switch to Robinson Club Noonu.

Apart from this marketing initiative, several others are also underway to promote Maldives in the Russia & CIS region. Accordingly, high impact campaigns on both offline and online platforms are in the pipeline with several collaborations with key stakeholders in the market.