This three-month campaign will target the UK, as well as the Italy and Russia markets.
Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has launched a major campaign with leading global travel marketplace Skyscanner, to promote the Maldives as one of the safest destinations in the world for tourists.
This three-month campaign will target the UK, as well as the Italy and Russia markets; all of which were the top three key markets prior to the closing and re-opening of the Maldives’ borders on 15th July 2020.
The campaign aims to assure potential travellers and those who are looking forward to visiting the Maldives again, that the Maldives remains one of the safest destinations during this unprecedented time. The campaign will focus on highlighting the unique geographical formation of the island nation and the isolation and seclusion it provides as a result. Owing to the natural dispersion of islands, social distancing is ensured and islands less crowded, these natural features are only available in a select few destinations, including the Maldives and provide a safe and peaceful escape for holidaymakers. The campaign is expected to reach 50 million people across the three markets, which will in turn increase brand awareness and visibility, enticing more tourists to visit the Maldives.
Following the UK government adding the Maldives to its safe travel list, Skyscanner observed an impressive 282% increase in searches, highlighting underlying demand to travel.
Under this campaign, a page will be dedicated to the Visit Maldives tourist board on Skyscanner platforms, targeting the three markets in their native languages. Through this page, content will showcase different experiences for tourists and show them that the Maldives is a unique and exclusive destination. Promotional ads will also be displayed throughout Skyscanner’s platforms to capitalise on travel intent to the Maldives and maximise content reach. This will include Skyscanner’s homepage and the most prominent positions on flight search results views. The ads will also display messaging in British English, Italian, and Russian languages for easy accessibility.
After almost four months of border closure due to COVID-19, the Maldives re-opened to international travellers in July 2020 and welcomed back tourists fully prepared with strict safety measures in place. A global campaign called “Rediscover Maldives…the Sunny Side of Life” was launched on this occasion, aiming to make tourists more aware of the travel situation and the measures taken under the ‘new normal’ guidelines, ensuring the protection of both travellers and staff on the ground. Along with the geographically distant islands which provide for the natural isolation tourists prefer, these measures make the Maldives a safe haven for tourists; aspects promoted heavily during the campaign.
Visit Maldives has been carrying out several activities in the UK during this time and has recently launched an outdoor advertising campaign targeting key locations in London, as well as a campaign with Travel Weekly.
Some of the other noteworthy worldwide campaigns are being carried out across key markets, such as the ongoing campaign with CNN Global, to ensure that the Maldives remains front of mind as one of the safest tourist destinations globally.
Due to the challenges brought on by the global pandemic, Visit Maldives adapted destination promotion campaigns accordingly. Marketing activities were shifted to online and digital platforms to showcase the beauty of the nation and highlight how the naturally distanced islands ensure the Maldives is the safest destination for tourists, to increase trust in the country.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
