The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) successfully led a powerful Maldives presence at Qatar Travel Mart (QTM), held from 24-26 November at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC). As lead organiser of the Maldives delegation, MATATO hosted the official Maldives stand in partnership with Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) as Official Destination Partner and NHGAM (National Hotels and Guest House Association of Maldives) as Strategic Partner. This collaboration positioned the Maldives as one of the most visible island destinations at the show, which drew 300+ exhibitors from 60 countries and around 12,000 visitors, underscoring QTM’s status as a leading regional travel marketplace.
A Unified Maldives Platform Delivered Results: MATATO, VMC and NHGAM
Over the three-day event, the Maldives stand proved to be more than just a visual showcase – it functioned as a unified national platform that brought together policy, private sector, and community-based tourism in meaningful business engagements. Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC), as the official destination marketing body, anchored the stand with the national “Maldives” brand and long-term market strategies, attracting significant attention from regional travel trade professionals. MATATO coordinated and led the trade delegation, successfully curating B2B meetings, networking sessions, and media visibility for Maldivian partners throughout the event. NHGAM ensured that guesthouses and local island tourism – a key pillar in the Fifth Tourism Master Plan 2023-2027 – were represented alongside resorts and high-end DMCs, reflecting the country’s focus on inclusive, community-linked growth.
This tripartite model demonstrated national tourism policy in action: diversifying markets, strengthening yield, and spreading benefits beyond resort islands into inhabited communities.
Strong Co-Exhibitor Participation Generated Quality Leads
The Maldives stand at QTM featured over ten co-exhibitors, representing a healthy cross-section of the industry, all of whom reported productive engagement with qualified buyers. Leading destination management companies (DMCs) such as Resort Life Travel, Neoscapes Maldives, and Pearl Travel Service focused on Qatar and GCC outbound business, conducting numerous pre-scheduled meetings with travel agencies and tour operators. Ultra-luxury and lifestyle brands like Ultra Luxury Maldives showcased private jet, villa and yacht experiences tailored to high-net-worth guests from the region, attracting interest from luxury travel specialists. Resorts and properties such as Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort held productive discussions with GCC family and lifestyle travel planners.
Together, these co-exhibitors presented the full spectrum of Maldivian product – from ultra-luxury resort stays and bespoke itineraries to local-island guesthouse experiences that appeal to younger, experience-driven travellers – resulting in what participants described as one of the most successful Maldives showcases at a regional travel mart.
Why This QTM Mattered for the Maldives
Qatar and the wider GCC have evolved beyond “emerging” markets – they are now core strategic feeder markets for premium island destinations like the Maldives. Qatar’s outbound market alone accounts for around 1.9 million trips and approximately USD 13.5 billion in travel spend annually, making it one of the most valuable outbound markets globally. The broader GCC outbound travel market was valued at about USD 76.4 billion in 2024, with projections of over USD 81 billion in 2025 and strong growth (7.6% CAGR) through to 2037.
Globally, the Middle East is leading tourism recovery, with international arrivals in the region 29% above 2019 levels in the first nine months of 2024 – a higher rebound than any other region. Within this context, Qatar Travel Mart (QTM) has evolved into a high-impact B2B platform, bringing together destinations, airlines, DMCs and key buyers from across the Middle East, Europe and Asia. This year’s edition scaled up significantly, with expanded floor space and a strong conference agenda around innovation, sustainability and sports tourism.
For the Maldives, the decision to invest in a bigger, more coordinated presence at QTM proved strategic: it positioned the destination at the heart of a region where high-spending family, luxury, and stopover travellers are actively seeking new experiences.
The Numbers Behind the Strategy: Middle East’s Growing Importance
The Maldives’ focus on the Middle East market is driven by compelling growth data and the imperative for market diversification. The country welcomed around 2,046,615 tourists in 2024, up roughly 9% from 2023. The Middle East sent more than 80,000 visitors to the Maldives in 2024, accounting for about 4.3% of total arrivals – a meaningful and rapidly growing share. As of mid-2025, the Maldives had already surpassed one million visitors for the year, with traditional top markets such as China, Russia, the UK, Italy and Germany still leading, but Middle Eastern arrivals gaining momentum as airlines and routes expand.
Qatar specifically has been trending upwards as a feeder market. Central bank data showed that monthly tourist arrivals from Qatar to the Maldives exceeded 1,200 visitors in August 2025, a 64% year-on-year increase, indicating rapid growth from this single market.
Tourism remains the backbone of the Maldivian economy, contributing over 60% of GDP and generating around USD 5.6 billion in tourism earnings in 2024. Strengthening high-value markets like Qatar and the GCC directly translates to more stable revenues, better yield, and resilience against shocks in any one traditional source market – a strategic priority that the QTM participation directly addressed.
Concrete Outcomes from the QTM Participation
MATATO’s leadership at QTM, supported by VMC and NHGAM, delivered several tangible outcomes that justified the investment and strategic coordination.
Successful Penetration into High-Value Segments
QTM brought together top-tier buyers, corporate travel planners, luxury agencies and MICE organisers, and the Maldives delegation capitalized on this opportunity. Maldivian co-exhibitors secured numerous longer-stay, higher-spend bookings from premium GCC travellers, successfully promoted family-friendly villas, wellness retreats and halal-friendly products tailored to Middle Eastern preferences, and positioned the Maldives as a year-round escape rather than just a honeymoon destination. Several exhibitors reported closing deals on the spot and scheduling follow-up negotiations for group series and charter programs.
Enhanced Visibility for Guesthouses and Local-Island Tourism
With NHGAM as a strategic partner, the stand successfully showcased guesthouses and small hotels alongside resorts, generating unexpected interest from mid-market travel agencies. This supported the government’s vision to spread tourism benefits to local communities and SMEs, while appealing to younger, budget-conscious GCC travellers and expatriate communities in Qatar who expressed strong interest in authentic experiences rather than only ultra-luxury stays. Several guesthouse operators reported their first-ever bookings from GCC markets as a direct result of QTM meetings.
Progress on Air Connectivity and Trade Partnerships
Qatar’s role as a global aviation hub, especially through Hamad International Airport and Qatar Airways, made QTM an effective platform for connectivity discussions. Maldivian participants held productive meetings with airline representatives to negotiate more capacity, promotions, and joint marketing on Maldives routes. There was particular interest in building multi-city itineraries that combine Qatar stopovers with Maldives stays, enhancing value for travellers and potentially boosting arrivals for both countries in the 2026 season.
Demonstrating Alignment with the Fifth Tourism Master Plan
The Fifth Tourism Master Plan emphasizes market diversification, sustainability, and inclusive growth as strategic priorities for 2023–2027. The Maldives’ strong presence at QTM directly supported the “new market growth” and “resilient tourism” pillars by successfully tapping into a region that is expanding faster than the global average, with concrete business outcomes to demonstrate return on investment.
Industry Response and Testimonials
Participants from across the Maldives delegation expressed satisfaction with the outcomes. Representatives from leading DMCs noted the quality of buyer appointments, with many meetings resulting in immediate follow-up actions and contract negotiations. Resort representatives highlighted the value of direct face-to-face engagement with decision-makers from key GCC travel agencies, something that had proven difficult to arrange through remote communication alone.
Guesthouse operators, many of whom were participating in a Gulf-region travel mart for the first time, reported being pleasantly surprised by the level of interest in local island tourism and authentic cultural experiences. Several indicated they had underestimated the potential of the GCC market and were now planning to develop Arabic-language marketing materials and halal-certified F&B options to better serve this demographic.
The coordination between MATATO, VMC, and NHGAM was praised by exhibitors as seamless, with the unified branding and messaging creating a professional impression that elevated the entire delegation’s credibility. The strategic decision to present a cohesive national stand rather than individual, fragmented booths was credited with maximizing impact and demonstrating the Maldives’ seriousness about the GCC market.
Looking Forward: Converting Interest into Sustained Growth
By bringing together MATATO’s trade leadership, VMC’s global branding, NHGAM’s grassroots network, and a curated roster of resorts, guesthouses and DMCs, the Maldives stand at QTM succeeded in converting interest into tangible business outcomes for 2026 and beyond.
The strategic coordination between these three key organizations demonstrated a maturing approach to destination marketing, one that recognizes that success in competitive global tourism markets requires not just beautiful imagery and promotional materials, but a coherent national strategy that aligns government policy, private sector capability, and community participation.
As follow-up meetings continue in the weeks after QTM, and as confirmed bookings begin flowing into Maldivian properties for the 2026 season, the true impact of this participation will become fully evident. However, early indicators suggest that the Maldives’ investment in QTM 2025 has successfully positioned the nation to capture a growing share of one of the world’s most valuable tourism markets.
With the Middle East continuing its remarkable tourism recovery and GCC markets continuing to grow in sophistication and spending power, the relationships established and business deals initiated at QTM 2025 are expected to yield dividends for years to come. MATATO has already announced plans to expand the Maldives presence at QTM 2026, building on this year’s success and deepening the destination’s engagement with this strategically vital source market.
The consensus among participants is clear: the Maldives didn’t just attend QTM 2025 – it made a statement about its commitment to the Middle East market, and the market responded enthusiastically.
