Visit Maldives kicks off three-city roadshow in Australia to boost Maldives’ presence

Visit Maldives has officially launched Visit Maldives Week in Australia, a three-city roadshow aimed at strengthening the Maldives' presence in one of its fastest-growing long-haul tourism markets.

The roadshow commenced on Tuesday in Perth and will continue in Melbourne on July 22, followed by Sydney on July 23. The initiative brings together leading tourism stakeholders from both the Maldives and Australia to strengthen industry partnerships and promote the Maldives as a preferred holiday destination for Australian travellers.

Held under Visit Maldives' newly redefined "Visit Maldives Week" concept, the roadshow provides an interactive platform for travel trade professionals, media representatives, influencers, and other key industry stakeholders to engage with Maldivian tourism partners while exploring the destination's latest products, experiences, and developments. The initiative forms part of Visit Maldives' broader strategy to strengthen its market presence through sustained trade engagement and targeted destination marketing.

This year's roadshow follows the launch of Maldivian's direct flights between Malé and Melbourne in May 2026, a development that has significantly improved connectivity between the two countries and created new opportunities to increase visitor arrivals from Australia. Visit Maldives is using this milestone to further strengthen relationships with travel agents, tour operators, wholesalers, and other industry partners, while highlighting the increased accessibility of the Maldives.

Australia continues to emerge as a strong growth market for the Maldives. Between January and May 2026, the Maldives welcomed 20,126 visitors from Australia, representing a 14.1 percent increase compared with the corresponding period in 2025. Australia ranked as the Maldives' 10th largest source market during the period, accounting for 2.2 percent of total tourist arrivals. The market also recorded notable growth in May 2026, with arrivals increasing by 24.2 percent year-on-year, significantly outpacing overall market growth during the same period.

Australian travellers continue to rank among the Maldives' highest-value visitors, with 77.2 percent opting to stay at resorts. At the same time, a growing number are choosing guesthouses, hotels, and liveaboards, reflecting increasing interest in the destination's broader range of tourism experiences.

Visit Maldives is joined by 11 Maldivian tourism companies participating in the roadshow, showcasing a diverse range of tourism products and experiences. The participating exhibitors include Coco Bodu Hithi, Fushifaru Maldives, Voyages Maldives Pvt Ltd, Island Aviation Services Limited, Villa Resorts, Baglioni Resort Maldives, Pulse Hotels & Resorts, Resort Life Travel Pvt Ltd, Exciting Maldives, Splendid Asia Pvt Ltd, and Arrival Beach and Spa.

Each event includes destination presentations, business-to-business meetings, networking sessions, promotional activities, interactive games, and holiday raffle giveaways. Dedicated networking opportunities for media representatives and influencers have also been incorporated to further enhance the Maldives' visibility within the Australian market and strengthen collaboration with key opinion leaders and content creators.

Visit Maldives continues to implement a comprehensive marketing strategy for the Australian market through joint campaigns with Luxury Escapes, influencer partnerships, familiarisation trips, and targeted advertising initiatives. Together with Visit Maldives Week in Australia, these efforts are expected to further enhance destination awareness, strengthen industry partnerships, and support sustained growth from one of the Maldives' most promising long-haul source markets.