SINGAPORE, 10 February 2026: Maldives’ President, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, has officially designated 2027 as ‘Visit Maldives Year’, signalling the start of a transformative national campaign to elevate the country’s tourism sector to unprecedented heights.
Delivering the 2026 Presidential Address at the opening of the People’s Majlis (unicameral legislative body of the Maldives), President Muizzu characterised the initiative as a “monumental national endeavour.”
He emphasised that the campaign will serve as a unified platform, bringing together domestic and international stakeholders to fortify the nation’s primary economic engine.
“Tourism remains the gateway of our economy and the primary source of foreign exchange,” President Muizzu stated. “Transforming ‘Visit Maldives Year’ into an inclusive national success story is vital to ensuring that the benefits of this industry reach every Maldivian citizen.”
To achieve the ambitious targets set for 2027, Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC), in coordination with a specialised Steering Committee under the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, has already activated an aggressive international promotion strategy for 2026/2027.
The first quarter of 2026 will see a high-impact presence at premier international travel shows and forums. In January, the Maldives participated in FITUR 2026 in Madrid, engaging with more than 50,000 industry professionals and trade experts.
This was followed by a strategic activation at the Travel & Adventure Show in New York. Conducted in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of the Maldives to the United Nations, participation at the adventure travel show spearheaded a targeted approach toward the high-value North American market.
Building on this momentum, Visit Maldives will maintain a rigorous schedule of high-profile global engagements throughout the first half of the year.
During February, the corporation will focus on strengthening ties with one of its primary source markets at SATTE 2026 in New Delhi, India. This will be followed by a major presence at ITB Berlin 2026 from 3 to 5 March, providing a vital platform for networking with global tour operators, major airlines, and international media.
To further solidify its presence in Eastern Europe and the CIS, the Maldives will also participate in MITT Moscow from 11 to 13 March, aimed at increasing market share and brand visibility in these key territories.
Strategic campaigns will continue into the second quarter with a specialised focus on the Middle Eastern luxury segment. From 26 to 30 April, the “Visit Maldives Week in Arabia” roadshow will travel through Kuwait, Riyadh, and Jeddah to engage directly with regional travel agents. This Middle Eastern circuit will culminate in a significant
presence at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai from 4 to 7 May. Visit Maldives aims to utilise ATM 2026 to secure new B2B partnerships and further cement the Maldives’ status as a premier destination for travellers from the Gulf region.
VMC recently concluded the first of a series of “Quarterly Insights:
Maldives Tourism Insights Briefing” serves as a critical bridge between policymakers and industry leaders, facilitating the exchange of data and synchronised planning for the 2027 roadmap.
Meanwhile, 2026 should be a year of record-breaking profitability, laying the groundwork for the landmark “Visit Maldives Year 2027”.
Visit Maldives Corporation is the state-owned enterprise mandated to promote the Maldives as a tourist destination worldwide under the brand ‘Maldives’ and its campaign slogan — ‘Maldives: The Sunny Side of Life’.
(Source: Visit Maldives Corporation)
