Visit Maldives hosts Q1 2026 Tourism Intelligence Briefing to align industry strategy
Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) has successfully hosted the Quarterly Insights: Maldives Tourism Intelligence Briefing for Q1 2026, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers and key stakeholders to review tourism performance, exchange market intelligence, and align on strategic priorities for the year ahead.
The Quarterly Insights series serves as a platform for providing timely access to real-time tourism data, emerging travel trends and forward-looking market insights, while encouraging collaboration and open dialogue across the tourism sector.
The briefing opened with remarks by Ibrahim Shiuree, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Visit Maldives Corporation, who highlighted the strong growth recorded by the Maldivian tourism industry in 2025 and the country’s increasing global profile. Looking ahead to 2026, he outlined plans focused on content creation, including the launch of the Creatoll platform for content creators and its associated summit, aimed at showcasing the Maldives’ natural and cultural experiences and reinforcing its position as a premium destination.
Shiuree noted that the Quarterly Insights session provides an important space for reflection, learning and strategic planning, offering market intelligence and real-time data on emerging travel trends for the 2026 season, alongside an early view of the promotional roadmap. He also emphasised the value of peer networking and open dialogue, stating that closer collaboration across the industry would help drive growth, resilience and global appeal.
Sabeeha Ahmed, Chief Operating Officer, presented insights on overall arrivals performance, market composition and demand outlook, while Nasrulla Adam, Chief Commercial Officer, outlined key promotional priorities for the year. Ahmed Afruh Rasheed, Creative Director, shared details of the digital marketing strategy for the first half of 2026, introducing the SeaSational Summer campaign, which aims to boost arrivals during the 2026 shoulder season.
In his closing remarks, Abdulla Giyas, Chairperson of VMC’s Board of Directors, underscored the importance of the Maldives Tourism Intelligence Briefing as a platform for continuous, data-driven dialogue and industry feedback. He highlighted the sector’s strong recent performance, marked by record arrivals and revenues, and pointed to a strategic shift from volume to value, with greater emphasis on yield, visitor spending and seasonality, while noting the industry’s resilience amid global uncertainty.
Giyas added that industry feedback gathered through the briefing plays a critical role in refining strategies and informing decision-making. He said the next Quarterly Insights session, scheduled for April, would present additional data from key institutions including the Maldives Monetary Authority, Maldives Inland Revenue Authority and Maldives Airports Company Limited, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the tourism sector through collaboration.
The session featured an interactive feedback segment, allowing participants to exchange ideas, share perspectives and discuss common challenges, reinforcing the collaborative nature of the briefing. It concluded with dedicated networking opportunities, further supporting engagement and partnership among stakeholders.
Visit Maldives Corporation will continue to host the Quarterly Insights series as part of its ongoing commitment to transparency, collaboration and evidence-based tourism development.
