NHGAM, Visit Maldives and MATATO to take Maldives tourism roadshow across CIS region
The National Hotels and Guesthouse Association of Maldives (NHGAM), together with Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) and the Maldives Association of Travel Agents & Tour Operators (MATATO), will conduct the I AM Maldives CIS Region Roadshow 2026, taking the Maldivian tourism industry directly to three key markets across Russia and Central Asia.
The roadshow will be held in Moscow on 21 September, St. Petersburg on 23 September and Almaty on 25 September 2026, providing a dedicated platform for Maldivian tourism businesses to engage directly with travel trade partners across these markets.
A delegation comprising 25 companies and more than 50 participants will represent the Maldives, including guesthouses, resorts, hotels, liveaboards and travel agencies. More than 180 travel trade professionals are expected to attend across the three cities, including tour operators, travel agents and other key industry partners.
The roadshow comes as Russia continues to perform as one of the Maldives’ largest tourism source markets. The Maldives welcomed 278,761 visitors from Russia in 2025, an increase of 23.8 per cent compared with the previous year. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Russia remained the Maldives’ second-largest source market in 2026, recording 209,815 arrivals as of 2 September and accounting for 14.6 per cent of total arrivals.
Kazakhstan also continues to present opportunities for further market development. The country ranked 11th among the Maldives’ source markets as of June 2026, with 18,602 arrivals and a 1.8 per cent market share. Together with strengthening air connectivity across the wider CIS and Central Asian region, these trends provide further opportunities to expand the Maldives’ presence and reach new traveller segments.
President of NHGAM, Abdulla Nasheed, said: “The I AM Maldives CIS Region Roadshow represents an important step in taking local island tourism directly to key international markets. Moscow, St. Petersburg and Almaty offer strong opportunities for Maldivian tourism businesses, and through this initiative we aim to build direct relationships with travel trade partners and create sustainable opportunities for our members and the wider local tourism sector.”
The roadshow will enable participating Maldivian businesses to engage directly with travel trade partners, strengthen existing commercial relationships and develop new connections across the three markets. It will also provide an opportunity to showcase the diversity of the Maldives’ tourism offering, from resorts and liveaboards to locally operated guesthouses and travel businesses.
Vice President of NHGAM, Ahmed Waheed, said: “The CIS region remains an important market for the Maldives, with considerable potential for further growth. By bringing a diverse representation of the Maldivian tourism industry directly to these markets, we can strengthen destination visibility while creating new opportunities for businesses across the sector.”
The initiative forms part of NHGAM’s wider programme of international market activities in 2026 and complements ongoing destination promotion by VMC and industry-led efforts to strengthen the Maldives’ presence across established and emerging source markets. Through direct trade engagement in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Almaty, the roadshow aims to sustain momentum from Russia while developing greater opportunities across the wider CIS and Central Asian markets.
