The Maldives joyously greeted Benjamin Duncan Moore as the first tourist of 2024, orchestrating a special celebration at Velena International Airport to mark this significant moment. Benjamin, a British national, arrived on flight EY278 from Abu Dhabi, embarking on his inaugural Maldivian experience with a leisure holiday at Villa Nautica.
The airport reception for Benjamin included officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives), as well as representatives from Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), Maldives Immigration, Dhivehi Raajjeyge Gulhun Public Limited (Dhiraagu), and Crossroads Maldives. Honorable Ibrahim Faisal, the Minister of Tourism, spearheaded the welcoming committee, accompanied by Mr. Mohamed Bassam Adam, Deputy Managing Director of MMPRC, Mr. Ibrahim Hareef, Deputy Chief Officer, of AOCC & Customer Relations of MACL, and Mr. Ali Sunan, Deputy Head of Airport Division, Deputy Chief Immigration Officer. The event also saw the presence of Mr. Mohamed Mirshan Hassan, Director of Brand and Marketing Communications from Dhiraagu, and Mr. Alexander Traeger, General Manager of Crossroads Maldives.
In recognition of being the first tourist of 2024, Benjamin received a complimentary stay from Crossroads Maldives, enjoying accommodations at SAii Lagoon Maldives and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives. Additionally, he was presented with special gifts from the Ministry of Tourism, MMPRC, MACL, Maldives Immigration, and Dhiraagu.
Highlighting its achievements, MMPRC disclosed that it conducted 402 marketing campaigns last year, encompassing fairs, roadshows, familiarization trips, marketing campaigns, webinars, and interviews, reaching an audience of 46,791,558,024. The Maldives secured the prestigious title of WTA’s ‘World’s Leading Destination’ for the fourth consecutive year in 2023, with MMPRC also earning the accolade of the ‘World’s Leading Tourist Board’ for the second consecutive year. Furthermore, the Maldives received the newly introduced Global Tourism Resilience Award, recognizing its capacity to recover swiftly and thrive after disruptions.
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