With effect from 19th March 2025, the government has lowered the costs associated with resort lease extension terms and instituted an option for installment payments. The change comes after a recent update to the Tourism Act was approved by parliament on 19th March 2025, and approved by President Mohamed Muizzu that same day in the…
Later this year, Maldivian plans to introduce exciting new direct flights to Germany and South Africa as part of the expansion of its international operations. This is a significant advancement in the airline’s plan to provide more direct flights to well-known foreign locations, which will support the Maldives’ travel sector. The airline has added its…
Nearly eight years after selling Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) to a group led by Bain Capital and the Chinese giant Tempus Group, Blackstone, the largest private equity firm in the world, is currently in the final stages of repurchasing the airline. A figure that is similar to what Blackstone originally sold it for is anticipated…
On 28th October 2024, Kandima Maldives held the launch of their E-Go-Kart Circuit Fast Track, which is currently the Maldives’ fastest & longest track in Maldives, along with being the first professional-grade electric go-kart track in the country. This 500-metre track tops out at a speed of 80km/h and with the goal of enhancing its…
During ITB Berlin 2025, from 4th March 2025 to 6th March 2025, The Cocoon Collection & Splendid Asia connected to exchange ideas and words. This gathering of minds led to fruitful exchanges, with positive changes, upcoming & completed upgrades made by The Cocoon Collection to their properties being the highlight. The Cocoon Collection brought significant…
According to Ahmed Nazeer, Secretary General of the Maldives Association of Tourist Industry (MATI), the Maldives’ tourism industry brought in $5.6 billion last year, with resorts accounting for 83.6% of the total. Speaking on 9th February 2025, at Kurumba Maldives for MATI’s 35th Annual General Meeting, Nazeer emphasized the evolution of the tourist industry over…
In order to encourage resort investments in environmentally friendly methods, Bank of Maldives (BML) has introduced its Green Resort Financing program. The new financing facility was introduced by Hussain Afeef, Chairman of Crown and Champa Resorts, together with Mohamed Shareef, CEO and Managing Director of the Bank, at the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI)…
Ahmed Munawar, the governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), hinted on 9th February 2025 that the resorts’ mandatory Dollar exchange conversion requirement would be lowered in the future. The governor said that while such a change would take up to two years, it is still possible, during the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry’s (MATI)…
111 members attended the 35th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), which was held at Kurumba Maldives on 9th February 2025. Chairman Mohamed Umar Maniku and Secretary General Ahmed Nazeer gave opening remarks at the Annual General Meeting. A video highlighting the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry 2024 advocacy…
In comparison to the same period in 2024, tourist arrivals in the Maldives increased by 11% in the first month of this year. A total of 214,864 tourists came to the Maldives in January 2025, exceeding the 192,385 arrivals in January 2024, according to data given by the Tourism Ministry on 3rd February 2025. The…