The Maldives welcomed 1.3 million tourist visitors during 2021, despite the many challenges faced this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A ceremony was held at Velana International Airport for the 1.3 millionth visitor, Constantin Stelian Emil, who was welcomed by the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) chief executive officer and managing director Thoyyib Mohamed.

“Despite all the challenges, 2021 has been a great year for the Maldivian tourism sector, achieving many milestones and receiving many accolades and awards, one of which was the prestigious World Travel Awards leading destination 2021 title. Reaching 1.3 million visitors is not a small achievement considering how volatile the global tourism situation has been throughout the year.”

As the parent company responsible for marketing the Maldives as a destination abroad, MMPRC generated over 400 different marketing activities in 24 global markets this year, including fairs, roadshows, familiarisation trips, marketing campaigns, webinars, and interviews. This year MMPRC plans over 60 in-person events, including 17 fairs, roadshows, and events scheduled for just the first quarter of 2022.