Maldives Welcomes the First Visitor of 2019
With the greetings and well wishes of New Year 2019, Maldives Welcomes its first tourist visitor of the year. The celebrated guest is Mr. Khalid Kareem of Saudi Arabia visiting Maldives with his family to celebrate the New Year & the couple’s wedding anniversary at Bandos Island Resort. They arrived on flight of Oman Air WY 381. The visitors were positively thrilled to find out that they were the first visitors.
“We feel extremely honored. This is the second time we are visiting the Maldives. First was in 2014. And the most amazing experience (of visiting the Maldives) is, the warmth of Maldivians. They are always smiling. It makes you feel so comfortable. Like you are home. The couple said excitedly.
Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporations and Maldives Airports Company Limited organized the celebration as a welcome tea at the VIP Lounge of Velana International Airport. The visitors were escorted to the VIP lounge by the staff of MMPRC where they were welcomed by the Minister of Tourism Hon. Ali Waheed, Managing Director of MMPRC Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed and other senior officials of MMPRC, Ministry of Tourism, MACL, Maldives Immigration and MATATO. A special gift symbolizing the good will of Maldivians was presented to the visitor by the Minister. An executive gift package from MMPRC was presented to the visitor by the Managing Director of MMPRC Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed. Gifts on behalf of MACL was presented to the visitor by the Acting Managing Director of MACL Mr. Moosa Solih. The visitor was also
awarded a 7-day free holiday voucher by AaaVeee Nature’s Paradise resort and return air tickets to Maldives by Oman Air.
Saudi Arabia market has been a rapidly growing market to Maldives over the recent months. The arrivals from Saudi Arabia show a positive growth of 16% from January to November when compared to the same period in 2017. Saudi Arabia also remains the top country from the Middle East market in terms of arrivals. During this period in 2017 a total of 21,475 Saudi Arabian tourists are recorded to have arrived in Maldives. With the 1st visitor being a Saudi Arabian, this is a great opportunity to promote the destination in the Middle Eastern market.
Every year, the travel and tourism industry businesses collaborate with the MMPRC, the corporation mandated with the promotion of Maldives as a tourist destination, to celebrate the first visitor as well as other milestone arrivals such as the 500k, 750k and the one millionth visitor. A total of 1,333,456 tourists arrived to Maldives from January to November 2018. It is a 7% growth when compared with the same period of 2017.
WINTER SCHEDULE 2018/ 2019
The First Phase of Crossroads Maldives to be opened in Summer 2019
The first phase of the Crossroads Maldives, a multi-island integrated leisure and entertainment resort destination has been scheduled to open in June 2019.
Developed by Thailand’s premier property development and investment holding company, Singha Estate PLC, the project which will showcase the cultural charm of the Maldives, and en-compass three independent islands fringing the Emboodhoo Lagoon in the pristine South Malé Atoll, just 15 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport.
Upon completion, phase one of Crossroads will offer two captivating hotels, Saii Lagoon Mal-dives and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives, adding a wide range of facilities centered upon the Marina @Crossroads, an 11,000-square-meter lifestyle, retail and dining destination.
Crossroads Maldives is aptly named and specifically master-planned as a global meeting place where travelers from all around the world could experience authentic Maldivian culture from past to the present.
With an overall aim to create mutual and sustainable benefits for the long-term prosperity of the entire area, the architecture and design of Crossroads Maldives will reflect the country’s historical influences and the developers will actively engage with local communities to create the win-win combination of authentic guest experiences and empowerment.
Singha Estate Public Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, develops and invests in real estate for rental and sale in Thailand and internationally.
The company engages in the hospitality and related business such as selling land, single de-tached houses and condominium units while also offering hotel management services and in-vesting in other companies.
Baglioni Resort Maldives set to open in March 2019
Italian hotel chain will debut Maldives with the Baglioni Resort Maldives opening its doors to guests in March 2019.
Described as the paradise with an Italian grace on the resort’s website, the new resort located on the island of Maagau in Dhaalu Atoll is a 40-minute hop by seaplane from the capital, Malé, easi-ly accessible while feeling remote, far from other islands and away from busy cruise and sea-plane routes.
The new luxury Italian-owned resort will features 96 villas with a selection of Beach Villas, Water Villas, Garden Villas, Grand Pool Beach Villas, Suites, Water Villas with pool and a Presidential Villa that overlook the lush tropical gardens or the sparkling turquoise Indian Ocean with floor-to-ceiling windows, private decking areas and outdoor bathrooms with standalone bathtubs. The airy villas will include crisp, clean décor, contemporary wooden furnishings and modern ameni-ties.
The four restaurants will serve a wide array of international cuisine including Japanese and tradi-tional Italian cuisine. There will be overwater dining venues with indoor and outdoor seating area so guests can enjoy the spectacular ocean views with their meals.
For relaxation, the Garden Spa will offer a variety of rejuvenating and soothing therapies, as well as a yoga pavilion where guests can enjoy private or group sessions with beach views. There’s a beach gym, and holidaymakers can play beach volleyball or take part in water sports activities such as pedalo rides, kayaking, windsurfing, snorkeling, top-cat sailing, scuba diving and boat excursions.
Baglioni Hotels is an Italian hotel group that was established in 1974 by Robert Polito. The com-pany has nine upscale hotels including five in Italy, two in France, one in London, and its newest resort in the Maldives.
Baglioni Hotels have announced that the luxury
Sun Aqua Iru Veli Welcomes its First Guests
The new Sun Siyam Resort, Sun Aqua Iru Veli welcomed its first guests on December 15th, 2018. It is the hotel chain’s fifth resort and its third property under the brand Sun Aqua.
Set on the pristine shores of Aluvifushi island, a secluded and previously uninhabited private is-land in Dhaalu Atoll, the Sun Aqua Iru Veli promises guests the ultimate island indulgence with a playful twist. The premium allinclusive resort will fuse intimate indulgence with naturally playful elements to create a truly relaxing tropical idyll.
Sister resorts Sun Aqua Vilu Reef Maldives and Sun Aqua Pasikudah Sri Lanka marked the be-ginning of the Sun Aqua story, now Sun Aqua Iru Veli represents a new level of laidback luxury in the collection. The Sun Aqua Signature offers guests a flexible, premium all-inclusive experi-ence from dining, drinking with a shisha experience and a wide selection of wines from the wine cellar to champagne breakfast to kick start the day. Also included are diving, excursions and be-spoke spa treatments.
Surrounded by a perfect white-sand beach, the five-star Sun Aqua Iru Veli was created to offer a luxurious yet intimate experience for both couples and families. Each of the 125 light-filled beach and over-water suites reflects the island’s unspoilt beauty, individually decorated in natural tones and local artworks. Spacious, contemporary bathrooms reveal ocean views. Guests can choose from decadently private couples’ or family suites with interconnecting spaces for everyone to rest, relax and recharge.
All suites have private freshwater swimming pools and sunbathing areas with complimentary minibars where wine, beers, soft drinks will be replenished twice daily.
The Sun Aqua boutique-style allinclusive experience means guests can enjoy the freshest, global fusion fare, from champagne breakfasts and mouthwatering Maldivian curries to seafood straight from the ocean and classic dishes with a difference. Dine à deux on the beach, enjoy a fine dining experience in one of the three restaurants or keep it low key with family dinner in the privacy of the suite or room service, the resorts offer private dining anywhere.
Sun Aqua Iru Veli has its own wine cellar and the resort’s mixologist will create sundowners that guests will never forget and a wide selection of unlimited alcoholic drinks.
Guests can take time out to be soothed at the tranquil Sun Aqua Spa with seven over-water pa-vilions with double massage tables, open-air rain showers and romantic flower-strewn baths and a main spa house with hydrotherapy pools, steam, sauna and spa boutique. While guests bliss out, the resort’s complimentary Kids Club welcomes little ones aged between three and 11 years old and for children below the age limit, there is complimentary babysitting service that includes three hours per stay.
Set within its own lagoon, Sun Aqua Iru
Veli has its own house reef and PADI / SSI facility dive center. The resort’s guests can select three dives per stay or swap for spa credit up to US$ 100 per day. The use of snorkeling equipment is complimentary for all guests. Excursions offer some-thing for everyone: each will receive a complimentary half an hour group windsurfing lesson and a 15-minute Jet Ski ride, per stay together with one of the following: dolphin cruise, guided snor-keling safari tour, sunset cruise or local island discovery. The resort also offers its guests the chance to experience its sister resort Sun Aqua Vilu Reef, which is a 10-minute speedboat ride away, whether for dinner or a night or two.
Arriving is something special, as guests fly low over islands, reefs and shallow lagoons. The is-land is just a 35-minute seaplane transfer from Velana International Airport and guests of Sun Aqua Iru Veli have access to the Sun Siyam lounge with massage corner, food and beverages along with a kid’s corner.
Sun Aqua is the visionary creation of Sun Siyam, one of the most forward-thinking and dynamic companies in the Maldives. Led by renowned Maldivian entrepreneur Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, Sun Siyam is committed in building a collection of hotel and resort brands infused with his distinc-tively passionate and colorful spirit.
Baros Unveils the Newest Addition to the Blissful Collection of Villas
Baros, an award-winning boutique island retreat in the Maldives has announced the addition of two distinctive new Suites to its blissful Villa Collection.
Named as the Baros Suites, each suite of 200-square-meter features a spacious, luxurious bed-room, a concealed, semi open-air bathroom and a large living area with sliding glass doors open-ing on to a wooden deck with sun loungers and dining area, a swimming pool and a thatched ga-zebo with a traditional swing overlooking the ocean.
These Suites are designed to provide a haven of seclusion, specially created to maintain the ut-most privacy and tranquility with classic design, for guests to enjoy the freedom of space as well as the inspiration of tropical tranquility and a chance to relax in solitude. The Baros Suites are located on the eastern shore of the island, within an easy walk to all facilities, yet perfectly pri-vate.
A winding pathway through the lush foliage leads to these exclusive Suites, which feature wood-en floors and high ceilings in a traditional Maldivian concept. At the foot of the king-size bed is an ottoman concealing a television screen while on one side there is a work desk and on the other, a cozy reading nook. In the adjoining lounge, there is a 55” television with access to movies and Internet and a sublimely cozy sofa for relaxation.
Sliding glass doors open on to an expansive wooden deck ideal for sunbathing or private dining under the stars beside a 19ft x 10ft swimming pool (which has a hot and cold Jacuzzi) adorned with fibre optic lights for a magical ambience in the evening.
To complement this inspired design, guests staying in a Baros Suite benefit from private transfer to and from the resort by luxury yacht, a dedicated Suite Butler on call at all times and a bottle of champagne and fruit platter on arrival. Guests staying five nights or more are eligible for compli-mentary breakfast (after the fifth night) on the Piano Deck in the lagoon.
Baros Suite guests also receive special complimentary amenities and a Baros souvenir the night before departure. Baros reflects heartfelt Maldivian hospitality making guests feel right at home from the minute they step on the island.
Guests can master the art of doing nothing, take part in memorable snorkeling experiences around the flourishing house-reef as well as embark on an amazing culinary journey as skilled chefs prepare delectable gourmet dishes.
Baros is a private, Maldivian-owned Island resort of 75-overwater and beachside garden and pool villas with three gourmet class restaurants, just 25 minutes by speedboat from Velana Inter-national Airport.
Baros was only the third resort to open in the Maldives and during more than four decades of car-ing for guests with heartfelt hospitality, Baros has acquired an enviable reputation as the bench-mark for the captivating luxury that is the essence of a holiday on Baros.
Baros was acclaimed as the Top Luxury Resort in the World 2018 by Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Awards and as the World’s Most Romantic Resort 2017 by the World Travel Awards.
Cocoon Maldives Introduce Garden of Eden Wellness Area Angsana Velavaru
Cocoon Maldives has refurbished its spa and wellness offerings, unveiling a brand new ‘Garden of Eden’ wellness area.
According to the resort, the ‘Garden of Eden’ is an addition to the existing Cube Spa facility and features a steam and sauna room, a jacuzzi as well as a Kneipp pool.
Cocoon states that guests who book treatments of 80 minutes and above at the Cube Spa will be offered complimentary access to the new wellness area, while those booking other spa treat-ments will be charged USD 25 per person. Guests who do not have a spa treatment booking can also enjoy the new facilities for a fee of USD 40 for 60 minutes.
All guests using the new facilities will be provided with towels and refreshments.
The new inclusion to the spa and wellness offering at Cocoon Maldives comes after
an outdoor gym called the ‘Tree of Wellbeing’ was recently opened at the resort. The Tree of Wellbeing is situated under a canopy of lush tropical trees, overlooking the beach and the shimmering azure lagoon.
Located on the pristinely stunning island of Ookolhufinolhu in Lhaviyani
Atoll, only a short 30-minute seaplane ride away from Velana International Airport, Cocoon Maldives is best described as an actualization of a dream to create a unique designer resort that mixes luxury, design aesthetics, and hospitality into a unique tropical island paradise.
Designed by renowned Italian firm LAGO, Cocoon’s minimal interiors complement with furniture made from 200-year-old wildwood defer to the overwhelming beauty of the surrounding marine environment and lush green vegetation that envelope the whole island.
Joins in on the Maldives Clean Up Initiative
The Ministry of Environment announced a national program to remove litter across of the Mal-dives which simultaneously took place on the 8th December 2018 from 07:30 - 10:30 in all regions of Maldives.
The initiative which was named ‘Saafu Raajje, Aharenge ves zimma’ that translates to ‘Clean Maldives, my responsibility too,’ was officially inaugurated by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The team at Angsana Velavaru supported the initiative of the Ministry of Environment and joined the first Nationwide Clean Up Day. With the support from the locals at Meedhoo Island, the re-sort’s team collected more than half a ton of plastic waste.
“By allocating a team of Marine Biologists & CSR Ambassadors at Angsana, we strive to educate our guests & team members to protect and nourish the local environments of our resorts world-wide.”
Sated Mr. Mario Piazza, the General Manager of Angsana Vealvaru.
CSR Ambassador Mr. Nick Hardman stated that the CSR committee and the Marine
Lab at Ang-sana Velavaru are working closely together with the local community to combat environmental waste and pollution. Recently, the resort’s team travelled to the neighboring island of Bandidhoo. Twentyone stu-dents and two teachers from Bandidhoo school along with island councilors helped the associ-ates remove 212 kg of plastic waste from different areas of the island, while Nick and Mario gave a presentation to inspire the local community to take action on plastic pollution.
In addition, Angsana Velavaru also donated Smart TV to the local school in the neighboring is-land of Maaenboodhoo as part of the resort’s CSR programme. The donation was aimed to help reduce paper consumption and waste.
Furthermore, the team packed 300 lunch boxes and alongside the famous Swedish blogger, Ms. Lisa Telbe to mark World Food Day on 16th October 2018 and paid a visit to Meedhoo Elemen-tary school.
Angsana Velavaru boasts classy accommodation with a strong Asian feel. It’s most notable for its In-Ocean water villas, stand-
alone structures a kilometer out from the main island which is con-nected by boats across the lagoon and completely private. The resort is an uppermidrange place that attracts an international crowd looking for affordable relaxation and is particularly popu-lar for food and beaches.
Angsana Velavaru sits half on the crystal clear waters of the Maldivian ocean and half on the white sandy beaches of the South Nilandhe Atoll. Guest can watch the sun rise over the vast-ness of the ocean on a sandy beach, then head over on a speedboat to the picturesque water villas and dine beneath the stars.
Angsana’s chefs serve a wide variety of local and international cuisines. Guests can relax with Angsana’s award-winning spa treatments, request for dolphin-watching trips or fishing in a tradi-tional Maldivian Dhoni. Activities can be arranged at Angsana Velavaru’s 5 Star PADI Dive Centre on request.
Angsana Velavaru is a 40-minute seaplane ride away from Velana International Airport.
CypreaAir & Holidays GM Dunston Withana Arachchi
Dunston Withina Arachchi was born to be a guru of the travel and the airline industry. From his childhood inspiration to his enthusiasm and wealth of experience working for international brands such as SriLankan Airlines, Kuwait Airways, British Airways and Qatar Airways, Dunston is truly an inspiring figure. The island chief explores how he Brings his wealth and knowledge to CypreaAir & Holidays as we learn more about him, the company and pinnacle trends within the evolving Global Travel Industry.
“I Love the Maldives and the people here are amazing. There is a Mountain of opportunities to be had here”
Tell us about your “journey to GM” How did you break into the travel industry?
Ever since I was a kid I liked flights. My father used to take me to the airport to watch the aircrafts and bought me a lot of model aircrafts. As such there was always a lightning spark of interest harboured into me where aircrafts were concerned.
After I left school, I got my first job at Sri Lankan airlines as a ticketing agent servicing customers in the main ticket office, agents counter and also at the Colombo Airport. Before long I found myself with a growing interest towards the sales field as well. I went to the manager and said that I would like to join sales and one fine day had an opportunity to join Sri Lankan Airlines sales. That was the point where everything changed. The door was open for me to come across a lot of opportunities and meet lot of travel trade pioneers.
There was no stopping from that point and after Srilankan Airline I ended up working for many airlines and INT travel companies. Namely All Nippon/ Kuwait Airways /KANOO group /British Airways / Qatar Airways, worked at many overseas branches mostly Middle East. At one point I was working with Uzbekistan Airways and had an office in Male. They used to fly Male to Tashkent.
How long have you been the GM of the company?
I have been the GM of CypreaAir & Holidays for 2 years and three months but I first came to work in Maldives via Qatar Airways looking after the commercial operations in the country. I have been in the Maldives for over four years now.
Tell us little bit about CypreaAir & Holidays
CypreaAir & Holidays is the new “cool” brand name of Cyprea Hotels & Travel Pvt Ltd an IATA accredited company Established in 1978 and Go Maldives Pvt Ltd also and IATA accredited company established in 1995. It is a leading travel firm in Maldives that provides all travel services under one roof. We handle all Airlines, Hotel bookings, Holiday packagers and travel insurance and visa services. We are the appointed agents in Maldives to handle Umrah visa.
How does a typical day at the office look like? What sort of responsibilities do you oversee at your position?
Our office is located at a very prime location, In the Cyprea building 5th Floor, Every day is actively a busy day. 40% of our business consists of direct clients, handling Air tickets, Holiday packagers
plus other travel related services while the remaining 60% is pure corporate business.
We do handle most of the major resort chains. I oversee overall sales and operations. After all, this is the travel trade, and every day is a satisfying day, after all making someone happy by helping them have an unforgettable experience in their life is truly a priceless aspect of my work.
Is there a luxury travel trend you think will be particularly surprising in the coming five years?
Mark my words, in another 05 years luxury travel will go beyond our imaginations. Right now we are witnessing these changers in Maldives as well. First under water restaurants and rooms. On the other hand in the Airline industry Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines upgrading their on board services in way that make travel experience as never before. Travellers has started reserving commercial tickets to the space in the very near future. So yes let us sit and enjoy the ride
How has the rise of the Millennial traveler affected the agent industry?
This is very important fact, we have been working not only to understand this next generation of travellers, but also to tailor our products and offerings for them.
We have actually undergone a total rebranding to better suit the needs of the millennial traveler. In My opinion the Millennial traveler experiences a a world much smaller and more connected than for the normal traveler. I think it is a common misconception about millennial travelers that they are budget conscious I think they are value conscious.
They don’t use travel agents in a normal sense, instead, they seek expertise and support to find authentic, original, and personalized experiences. So that is one of the main reasons why we have shifted our focus towards operating a total travel management company.
How can advisors build loyalty among their clients in today’s travel sales environment?
I believe in five things which I always tell my employees all the time, the “five finger tips”.
1- There has to always be excellent and personalised customer services for our clients and we have to provide the relevant product
2- Acknowledge loyal customers. When they come back leave a personal touch; when they come back frontier trip, give them a call, ask them how there flight was, how the service and the experience
was and this acknowledgement goes a long way.
3- Share tips and advice; the weather, the currency, where can they can go, where can they buy thing that they want. All ways share tips and advice, you can do that on social media as well or on your website. Which brings me to the next finger
4- Use Social Media Channels- It really connects to clients on their personal space and it reaches a wide market.
Finally no 5 - The most important thing which we are also trying to do is to introduce a loyalty programme for these customers, so we are working on that now on our online Platforms where we will start a loyalty program to really reward these customers.
How strong is the inbound market by comparison to the outbound market?
Given the popularity and with the continuously developing tourism infrastructure, the inbound market is stronger for Maldives than the outbound market.
I can relate with something I have personally experienced. Since I am an airliner when I came to the Maldives, Qatar airways had two flights daily but within two years, now there are TRIPLE DAILY flights coming to male’, Two A350s, The latest airbus series and A330 with a total capacity of over 700 passengers per day.
The reason for this is undoubtedly the increase of demand for the inbound travelers to Maldives. So the number of inbound travelers is increasing day by
day and it is measurably larger than the outbound market.
What’s the latest news at CypreaAir & Holidays?
We have partnered up with Local and Global best Airlines and hotel brands and booking engines to provide the best in bound and out bound deals and also with leading international tour operators to improve the inbound markets. As a result we are surfing on a sea of opportunities at present
Share with us some of the companies’ upcoming plans for the future?
As we were talking about the new millennial traveller, and new trends and demands in the market, we are pleased to announce that we will be launching our total travel solution OTA in 2019. We are hoping that this will be a major breakthrough in the Maldives travel industry. This will provide all services to the traveller at their fingertips from Airlines services. Hotel bookings, Holiday packagers, travel insurance and many more.
Living in Maldives must have its share of problems but also of perks! What is your favourite thing about working in the city?
I Love the Maldives and the people here are amazing. There is a Mountain of opportunities to be had here. A special appreciation and gratitude is always extended from me towards our board of directors and the management for their support and guidance in every decision we make.
Lorenzo Benvenuti Assigned as the General Manager at You & Me by Cocoon
You & Me by Cocoon Maldives has announced the appointment of Lorenzo Benvenuti as the General Manager who will be overseeing the day to day operations of the romantic 5-star island resort set to open in February 2019.
“I am delighted to join You & Me and the incredible team. With the hotel’s versatile and spectacu-lar concept, I want to start immediately and develop all new ideas to provide our guests with the time of their lives. We are waiting for you to come and experience the new concept of hospitality.”
Says Lorenzo.
Lorenzo brings over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, having worked in a
num-ber of well-known prestigious properties. He has also conceptualized casual and finedining res-taurants and with expertise in the field, Lorenzo has developed properties into multiple markets as well.
Located in Raa Atoll, Northern Maldives, You & Me is a 20-minute speedboat ride away from the Ifuru Domestic Airport or a 45-minute scenic seaplane ride from Velana International Airport. The resort is an adults only island, targeting couples and honeymooners featuring different types of luxurious villas, suites and an underwater restaurant.
Cocoon Maldives currently Operates Cocoon Maldives, a 5-star family friendly resort based on the principle of ‘affordable luxury’.
John Rogers Appointed General Manager at LUX* North Male Atoll
LUX* North Male Atoll, the second LUX* resort operating in the Maldives, scheduled to open on 1st February 2019, has announced the appointment of seasoned hotelier John Rogers as General Manager for the brand new, fivestar, 67 villa luxury resort.
Drawing on more than 30 years of experience managing award-winning destination properties around the world, British-born John brings an impressive background in pre-opening planning as well as luxury resort operations to LUX* Hotels & Resorts.
John has held roles as General Manager at several award-winning luxury resorts, including eight years at La Residencia in Mallorca. Most recently, John oversaw all operations as General Man-ager at the Carlisle Bay resort in Antigua and Barbuda.
John’s wealth of knowledge in five-star resort hospitality is set to ensure the continued success of LUX* Hotels & Resorts and its dedicated commitment to ensuring fresh, creative and exceptional experiences in different locales around the world with LUX* North Male Atoll next out to make its gracious entrance in the promise of a Lighter. Brighter and extraordinary stay.
“I am thrilled to have joined LUX* North Male Atoll, as the resort will be introducing an entirely new level in stand-out luxury with spectacularly designed
spaces to play, relax and retreat. For the first time in the Maldives, each penthouse villa is crowned with a private Sky Lounge for all guests to overlook the unique location, just a short journey from the capital city ” said John Rog-ers.
“Leading up to the opening on February 1st 2019, we have been carefully planning all details to perfection, building great teams and sharing the vision of making each moment matter for our soon-to-arrive guests in a lighter, brighter way. We can’t wait to share this with you all.”
LUX* Resorts & Hotels helps people to celebrate life by delivering consistently on the promise of a different kind of luxury; hospitality that is Lighter. Brighter. At LUX*, every moment matters, hence the brand is commitment to banish thoughtless patterns and to always create simple, fresh and sensory experiences for its guests throughout their stay.
From freshly, locally roasted and ethically sourced coffee, retro-style ice cream parlours and tai-lor-made health and spa sessions to the magical tree of wishes, junk art galleries and impromptu on-the-beach film screenings, each LUX* experience is designed to help its guests celebrate life by turning the ordinary into extraordinary.
Mr. Abdulla Su’ood Elected as the President of MATATO
Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) has elected former vice president of the association, Mr. Abdulla Su’ood as the president at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Elections held at Hotel Jen on 2 December 2018.
President-elect Mr. Su’ood, who will be leading the association for the upcoming 4 years, stated that his priority would be addressing the concerns of the members.
He further added that he will be working closely with international organizations as well as the local government to provide more opportunities for the MATATO members and that he will raise the efforts being put into market the Maldives.
The AGM also highlighted the selection of members for various other positions. Former president of MATATO, Mr. Abdulla Giyas and Mr. Ibrahim Shihab were elected as the new vice presidents of the organisation while 5 members were chosen for the Executive Board and a treasurer was determined.
Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) was found in 2006 by a group of enthusiastic tour operators in the Maldives and has evolved to be a non-profit organiza-tion in the country and at the forefront of the Maldivian tourism industry.
For the last 12 years, the association has engaged
themselves in various activities from advoca-cy, training, and workshops, travel trade fairs in many parts of the world, media FAM trips, gov-ernment lobbying, recognition programs such as Awards, travel conferences and forums, publi-cations, destination marketing, whistle-blower programs, representation and much more.
Thoyyib Mohamed Appointed as the Managing Director of MMPRC
Thoyyib Mohamed has been recently appointed as the Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).
President of Privatization and Corporatization Board, Mohamed Nizar confirmed Thoyyib’s ap-pointment as the MD of MMRPC. Thoyyib was the first person to be appointed in a high position at a state-owned company under the new government.
Prior to his appointment as the Managing Director of MMPRC, Thoyyib was the chairman of the transition team created to assess the state of Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Corporation (MITP), Public Service Media (PSM), Maldives Tourism Development Corporation and MMPRC.
Furthermore, he was also assigned as the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture during the term of former
President Mohamed Nasheed.
The Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) is the national tourism organi-zation of the Maldives responsible for carrying out promotional activities to make the nation the most preferred island destination of the world under the theme of Maldives...the Sunny Side of Life; whilst adhering to its mission to promote quality and sustainable growth in the local tourism industry to deliver long-term economic, social and cultural benefits to the country.
The Maldives Airports Company Limited Launches a Reduce Plastic Campaign
The Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has recently launched a ‘Reduce Plastic’ cam-paign at a special ceremony held at Velana International Airport (VIA).
The company’s movement towards ending the consumption of single-use plastics was led by Deputy Chief Information Officer Moosa Solih, who showcased cloth bags and glass bottles to be used in the airport.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Solih stated that VIA is well known across the Asian region for its ecological initiatives and active contribution to the global fight against pollution.
Hassan Areef, MACL’s Associate General Manager, declared that the first goal of their ‘Reduce Plastic’ campaign is to reduce the company’s plastic footprint and called on all employees of MACL to work together so that
use of single-use plastics recently, with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Foreign Affairs following suit shortly thereaf-ter.
Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) is a 100% government-owned limited liability com-pany incorporated under the Companies Act of the Republic of Maldives. MACL is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Privatization & Corporatization Board of the Maldives. The Corporate Office of MACL is located on the island of Hulhulé.
Maldives Airports Company Limited is the operator of Velana International Airport and has been massively involved in destination marketing and bringing in new airlines to the Maldives to boost up the tourism industry.
Velana International Airport is the primary Airport of the Maldives since 12th April 1966. Managed and Operated by Maldives Airports
ATP Calls Upon Hoteliers to Join Single Use Plastic Ban Pledge
The Maldives Association of Tourism Professionals (ATP) has called upon all tourism facilities to join the pledge to ban single-use plastic. ATP stated that the association is to partner with all tourism facilities including resorts, hotels, guesthouses as part of their campaign to ban single-use plastics, and urged all hoteliers to join in the campaign.
The association, which aims to inform the industry on sustainable tourism practices, stated that all companies, irrespective of how big or small, must do their part to reduce the harmful impacts on the environment, and that the campaign is one of the steps ATP has taken to promote the det-rimental effects of plastics on the environment, especially the beaches and ocean.
Plastic affects the underwater marine life in many ways, and lead to the death of different types of species. One of the effects includes plastic ingestion. Plastic bags are also mistaken as jelly fish by sea turtles and consume them, resulting in them choking to death, or dying of hunger once the plastic clogs their stomachs.
“The choices that we make today, will define our collective future. I call upon all tourism estab-lishments to join us and pledge to ban singleuse plastic.” Said Dr Hussain Sunny Umar, Presi-dent of ATP.
Ooredoo Teams Up with Amazon to Offer Amazon Prime Video to Cus-tomers in the Maldives
Ooredoo Maldives and Amazon Prime Video have come together to ring in an entertaining and exciting new year for customers.
Starting from 20th December 2018 , all Ooredoo Mobile Postpaid and Fixed Broadband customers can now add Prime Video to their plans* for just MVR 49 per month for the first 6 months, with a 7-day trial offer.
Ooredoo also offers an option for a Prime Video membership combined with 5GB of mobile data, for MVR 191 per month. Customers can easily signup to the service through My Ooredoo on the App and website, as well as the SuperNet Portal.
“Digital has greatly transformed the ways through which we enjoy entertainment,” revealed the company in a statement.
“As more and more of our customers are turning to the internet for TV shows, movies, music and more, our
engagement with Amazon greatly eases access to the award-winning selection of en-tertainment on Prime Video for the people of Maldives. We will continue to partner with local and international brands to support the digital lifestyle of our customers.”
Amazon Prime Video is an on-demand entertainment service that provides thousands of popular movies, TV episodes and critically acclaimed and award-winning Prime Original series like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Man in the High Castle, Homecoming, The Grand Tour and more, for Prime Video members to stream or download and enjoy anytime, any-where.
Members can watch via the Prime Video app on Android and iOS phones and tablets, select smart TVs and gaming
consoles or online at primevideo.com.
Ooredoo Maldives provides a wide range of innovative voice and data services tailored to the growing needs of today’s consumers and businesses. Guided by its vision of enriching people’s lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help peo-ple achieve their full potential, Ooredoo has transformed the telecommunications industry for the people of the Maldives.
With the aim to open up the opportunities of the digital age to local communities and businesses, the company continues to invest in the most advanced technologies and innovations, providing the largest and only nationwide 4G+ network in the Maldives.
Digital has greatly transformed the ways through which we enjoy entertainment.
The Ministry of Economic Development to Establish a SME Bank in Maldives
The Minister of Economic Development, Honourable Fayyaz Ismail has announced that efforts are being taken to establish a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Bank which will arrange a more convenient way for businesses to obtain loans.
Highlighting that SMEs face lot of difficulties in attaining loans via the existing banks, the minister revealed that the current government aims to develop and empower SMEs, therefore, an SME Bank will be
opened soon in accordance to the regulations of Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) to help such enterprises flourish.
He further stated that the SME bank will be established latest by the end of January.
The government has set several targets to develop the businesses in the Maldives within the first 100 days of the administration which also involve the establishment of an SME Bank specialised for SMEs.
Cruise liners can harbor closer to Male’ City
In order to make the cruise liners transportation easy for the tourists, cruise liners that visit Male’ can now dock 0.6 nautical miles, rather than two nautical miles from the city”.
Cruising around the ocean have been the upcoming trend followed by lot of travelers to have a unique and memorable experience. Cruise ships’ facilities and services continue to surpass the expectations of travelers. Ministry of Tourism has made the necessary arrangements to allow cruise liners to harbor closer to Male’ City, which was one of the biggest challenge.
After discussing with the tourism industry professionals and stakeholders, Minister of Tourism, Mr. Ali Waheed stated that “In order to make the cruise liners transportation easy for the tourists, cruise liners that visit Male’ can now
dock 0.6 nautical miles, rather than two nautical miles from the city”. Cruising in the Maldives, a tropical paradise of crystal clear water, pristine beaches with chain of atolls and islands scattered over the Indian Ocean is one of the hot spots among the travelers.
The ministry has opened up a hotline, where citizens can submit their concerns regarding the industry which will aid in the recognition of the issues in the tourism industry in the Maldives.
Mee Ebunaa Ehchakee
#WheresTheFun
AS Coast Craft 37
The True Value of Luxury
Mr. Ismail shareef, Operations manager at Al Shaali Marine Maldives shares his joy and explains about the popular tourist transport vessel AS Coast Craft 37 which has yet again won the title of The Best Production Fibre 40-27ft Vessel of the Year at the Maldives Boating Award held on the 23rd December 2018 at Dharubaaruge.
Most upmarket resorts in the Maldives have been using the AS Coast Craft 37 due to its comfort, design, the smooth ride and stability in water.
As we ask Mr.Ismail Shareef to talk to us about the AS Coast Craft 37, He starts of with a brief introduction of the vessel
“AS Cost Craft 37 is a speedboat that was designed in 2011 and introduced to the Maldivian Market in 2012. After our design and completion, We only started to sell the craft around 2013/2014. But it was not before 2016 after some minor improvements and alterations were made to the craft, that the Maldivian market started to really perceive and appreciate the AS Coast Craft 37 for the good quality boat that it is.”
“As a result we started building and producing the craft per the market demand and the fol-lowing year, the AS Coast Craft 37 was awarded as the Best Production Fibre Vessel as well as the Best Designer Boat at Boating Awards 2017. Now AS Coast Craft 37 is vessel that being sold at high demand in the Maldivian Market.”
Having learned a little bit more about the AS coast Craft 37 we went on to further in-quire about some
of the technical insights of the boat as Mr. Shareef explains its ca-pacity and the recommended horse power of the engines to be used with it
“The standard passenger capacity of the vessel is 25 plus crew. The minimum recommended engine horse power is twin 250 engines. 350 hp engines can also be used while a triple isolate engine can also be installed if the customers request.”
With great enthusiasm he explains that the craft is always custom made for the speci-fications of each individual customer
“As Al Shaali is a company that provides total boating solutions and services for its custom-ers, we will do any alterations as well as any modifications to customise our vessels per the customer’s needs. We also do any works relating to the interior design of the vessel.”
“Usually we provide our services to resorts and the tourism industry of the country, as such the resorts will be wanting the vessels different then the vessels that are being used by the others.So we do cater different alteration options to different resorts.”
At this point our curiosity was at a peaking point and we had to ask about the produc-tion time behind this amazing craft
“Al Shaali Marine is a company that builds and produce a mass amount of vessels. Starting from small 15ft speedboats to 21ft boats or vessels that are specially made for excursions or water-sports, we also build speedboats that are specially used for parasailing in the Maldivian waters.
Even though we build vessels to all theses categories, we try to manage our vessel delivery lead time for a maximum duration of 4 and half months. So if the customers have any re-quest for the way the boat should be made or if they want us to build the vessel faster, we make these arrangements and meet the customers demands.
As we dug deeper into conversation the island chief decided to get personal and we questioned Sharif about his favourite features of the AS Coast Craft 37
“AS Coast Craft 37 is specially made for the ones who are in the business corporate industry that travels in groups. The seating at the back of the vessel is U shaped and comes with a table making it easier for a group of people to sit together and have conversations while travelling.”
“It is also designed in a way that the crew will be facing the passengers so that they can at-tend the passengers when they give out a hand signal. So if the passengers need anything or if anything happens to the customers the crew will be always prepared to attend their needs without the passengers needing to shout or call them. As such this is a very customer friend-ly vessel.”
“We are currently building the 54th craft for a customer’s order.”
Before we ask our final few questions we further dig into Mr. Shareefs personal views on the vessel and ask him about which features about the vessel stand out and differ from other vessels in the market
“The biggest difference is how we have designed the vessel. As mentioned before the pas-sengers and crew of the vessel will always be connected via how we arranged the seatings, so that the crew will be able to efficiently provide any assistance that the passengers need.
The other difference is the seating arrangements for the passengers are also unlike the ves-sels that are usually used in the market. As previously mentioned, when passengers are trav-elling in group, they can sit together and even have conversations though out the trip. Most of the vessels here have a seatings that will be facing backwards and forward, so they wont be able to do this.
The stability of the boat is also
good. But this depends on the speed the vessel goes and the engines used in it which is adjustable. As the stability and the speed comes from the equip-ments used in a vessel this will vary due to the adjustments made to it.
Having gained quite a lot of indepth knowledge into the workings behind the award win-ning transport vessel, AS Coast Craft 37 our most interesting convesation comes to a conclusion as we finally ask which upmarket properties or resorts where this vessel is currently being used at
“Almost all our crafts are being used at resort. Four Seasons maldives, W Maldives, Amilla Fushi, Finolhu, Hurawalhi Maldives, Cheval Blanc Randheli in addition to many other popular resort brands are using this vessel now.”
“Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives, The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort, You & Me Maldives are amongst new opening resorts that will be using the AS Coast Craft 37.”
Maldives Business Awards 2018 Successfully Held at Paradise Island Resort
Maldives Business Awards 2018 has successfully awarded all 23 winners with their respective accord on 22 December 2018 during an event held at Paradise Island Resort, Lankanfushi.
Organized by the local PR firm, Blazon Inc, the event attracted an approximate 250 invitees in-cluding the award winners along with sponsors, partners and corporate executives. The at-tendees also included policy executives, civil society representatives, finance and business agency executives and senior government figures.
A grand total of 185 applicants took part in the awards out of which 56 were selected as finalist and 23 were named winners following over100 hours of judging. The Judges panel of Maldives Business Awards 2018 consisted of a total of members who worked to the best of their abilities to ensure that all the entrants had a fair chance of winning.
The judge’s panel consisted of:
H.E Hamdun Abdullah Hameed (Former Ambassador to Singapore)
Dr. Aishath Muneeza (Associate Professor, INCEIF)
Dr. Mariyam Waseema (Managing Director, Life Support)
Dr. Azmiralda Zahir (Partner, Litica Law Associates)
Mr.Ibrahim Athif Shakoor (Managing Director, United Food Suppliers)
Uz. Ashraf Rasheed (Founder of the LawHouse)
Mr.Abdullah Giyas (Former President of MATATO)
The awards are given under categories which include Industry Excellence awards that will be given to notable business entities under the major economic sectors of Maldives, the Enterprise Excellence awards that will be granted to businesses or ventures for significant milestones achieved.
The awards also include Individual Excellence, which as the name suggests will be awarded to business individuals or intellects with exceptional conduct or achievements and the final catego-ry. Elite Awards are special awards to acknowledge significant contribution in the business sec-tor.
The finalists from Individual Excellence went through a popular vote process via SMS which de-termined 50% of their total score on average percentage, while judges evaluated the other 50%.
A full list of the categories and winners can be found below:
Industry Excellence
Award for Excellence in Transport and Logistics to Total Transport Solutions.
Award for Excellence in Health Care to Medica.
Award for Excellence in Professional Services to MHPA LLP.
Enterprise Excellence
Award for Public Enterprise of the Year to Dhiraagu. Award for Innovative Business of the Year to Allied Insurance.
Award for Allied Presents Employer of the Year to Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC).
Award for FDI of the Year to Ooredoo Maldives.
Award for Dhiraagu Presents MSME of the Year to Ember Fire and Safety.
Individual Excellence
Award for Young Entrepreneur of the Year to Ali Haris, Co-Founder and CEO of Payer.
Award for Businesswoman of the Year to Raidha Shafeeq, Owner of Raidha’s Maldives.
Award for Inspirational Leader of the Year to Abdul Majeed, CEO of Bison Maldives.
Award for Entrepreneur of the Year to Mohamed Ali Janah,
The 4th Annual Maldives Boating Awards Gala Concludes Successfully
The event was attended by top-level executives from the leading companies of the Maldives boating industry as well as prominent government officials including the Minister of Economic Development, Honourable Uz Fayyaz Ismail who graced the event with his presence as the Guest of Honor.
Winners from 27 categories ranging from boat builders, live-aboards, marine industry suppliers, crew, captains and guides were awarded at the event revealing the best of the Marine industry.
In addition, it was also revealed at the event that the Liveaboard Association of Maldives (LAM) has become a national organization with the name ‘Liveaboard Association of Maldives (LAM)’ respectively changed to National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM).
The award winners were judged based
online and SMS votes.
The winners of the Maldives Boating Awards 2018 were:
Best Liveaboard Operator of the Year: Voyages Maldives
Best Liveaboard Brand of the Year: Carpe
Diem Maldives
Bunkering and Fuel Supplier of the Year: The Hawks
Best Liveaboard / Yacht Built: Leo Safari
Best Surf Safari: Horizon 2
Most Preferred Marine Equipment Supplier of the Year: D Blue Marine
Most Preferred Marine Pain of the Year:
International Marine Paint, Seagull Marine
Most Preferred Outboard Marine Engine of the Year: Yamaha-Aliya Investment
Best Dive Safari: Sachika
Best Fishing Safari: Dolphin 1, Blue K Safari
Maldives
Best Crew Team: Marselia Star
Captain of the Year: Captain Mohamed Naseer, Horizon 3
Best Boat Design of the Year: Scuba Spa Yang
The 4th Annual Maldives
Boating Awards
Gala took place on 23 December 2018 at Dharubaaruge in Malé, honoring its members and industry professionals for their hard work and service.
Best Production Fibre Vessel of the Year (4027ft): AS Cost Craft 7, Al Shaali Marine
Best Production Fibre Vessel of the Year (4026m) Dive Craft Cruiser 53, Meq Boatyard
Marine Engineering Service Provider of the Year: VAM Co
Dockyard/Slipway of the Year: Al Shaali
Marine Maldives
Best Liveaboard / Yacht Builder of the Year:
Water Line Maldives
Liveaboard Travel Agent/Tour Operator of the Year: Maldives Holiday Collection
Most Preferred Main Marine Engine Brand of the Year: Yanmar
Most Preferred Marine Generator of the Year: Sole’ Diesel
Most Preferred Insurance Provider of the Year: Allied Insurance Company of the Maldives
Dive Guide of the Year: Mr. Fathuhullah Ahmed, Dune Maldives
Surf Guide of the Year: Mr. Ahmed Mauroof, The Perfect Travel Group
Special Award for Marine Industry of the Year: Maldives Marine Expo
Maldives Boating Awards was initiated by NBAM to recognize the strength of the boating industry and the services rendered by the service providers in 2014.
National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM) is a national Maldivian organization that repre-sents the liveaboards of the country. Since its formation in 2007, NBAM has been the voice of liveaboards and has helped its members grow their business successfully and sustainably while also to helping their clients and operators choose the appropriate company while selecting a cruising vacation in the Maldives.
Through the years NBAM has worked on the development of the industry while also engaging in promoting the industry by organizing events such as Maldives Marine Expo, Maldives Boating Awards, Safety Campaign Stay Safe Afloat and
UAE tourists can now claim VAT refund
As of 18th November 2018, tourists in the UAE have been able to claim tax refunds on their pur-chases, at Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah International Airports. The UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA) introduced a value-added tax (VAT) of 5 per cent in January 2018.
Phase two of the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme, which came into effect on 16th December last year, allows overseas tourists to claim refunds of taxes at all other UAE airports as well as land and sea ports that are taking part, including Al Maktoum International Airport and Port Ra-shid.
Tourists can now receive 85 per cent of the total VAT amount paid, minus a fee of Dh4.80 ($1.30) per Tax Free tag. There is also a minimum spend to qualify for tax free purchases at Dh250 ($68).
4,500 retail stores have already participated the refund scheme, with the number continuously rising since the second phase came into operation. The company hired to operate the system, Planet, has reportedly completed all necessary tests to ensure the system runs efficiently.
Federal Tax Authority (FTA) director
general Khalid Ali Al Bustani revealed that the scheme’s dig-ital system is the most advanced of its kind, and that the UAE is one of the first countries to implement it.
The FTA is keen to contribute to increasing tourism attractiveness, encouraging domestic trade and establishing the country as a central trading hub in the region. Among the incentives offered by the new system is the refund of VAT on purchases of up to Dh10,000 ($2,723) in cash for every overseas tourist within every 24 hours, which is high compared to the values allowed to be refunded in cash in many countries of the world, while there is no maximum cap where amounts due for refund are paid to the tourist’s credit card.
Only invoices issued by retailers who are registered for the scheme and connected to the system are eligible for
a refund by tourists, and these retailers can be identified by posters they should display clearly on their storefronts.
Goods that have been consumed, fully or partly, in the UAE or any implementing state will not qualify for VAT refunds, and neither will motor vehicles, boats and aircraft or even goods that are not accompanied by the tourist at the time of leaving the Emirates.
To qualify for a tax refund, the tourist needs to be at least 18 years old, should not be UAE resi-dents but can be GCC nationals.
SIA Inaugurate Network-Wide Meal
Pre-Ordering Services For Premium Class Customers
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has launched a new service enabling customers travelling in Suites, First Class and Business Class from anywhere in the Airline’s global network to pre-order main courses from their flight’s menus.
SIA is the world’s first airline to roll out this bespoke service on all flights across its network. There are also plans to extend it to Premium Economy Class in the near future.
Following a well-received soft launch in August 2018 for flights to and from North Asia, customers travelling in Suites, First Class and Business Class on any SIA flight may now view the in-flight menu for their flight on the Airline’s website, singaporeair.com, and pre-order their main courses, ensuring their choice of meal.
Customers may pre-select their meal choices anytime from three weeks before travel up to 24 hours before flight departure.
The new service complements the existing Book the Cook programme, which enables customers in Suites, First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy Class on selected flights to pre-order main courses from a separate menu of up to 68 choices.
SIA’s Book the Cook programme features a wide range of gourmet main courses that include classic Western-style favourites, healthier wholesome and meatless choices, popular Asian dishes, iconic Singaporean fare familiar to home, and exclusive creations from the Japan.
We can help increase your savings! We're your perfect printing partner.
Our industry-leading printing solutions deliver exceptionally high quality print to create lasting impressions for your business.
Our services include printing - large-format, books, brochures/ lea ets, business cards, posters, calendards, ceramic tiles, yers, greeting/invitation cards, letterheads, menus, name plates, photo books, cloth/fabric printing and glass etching. Additional serviceslaser cutting, plaque making, self-ink stamps, creative designing, die cutting, pins, shopping/gift bags, trophies and shields.
While celebrating over 20 years in the business we provide full color printing services onto any type of at surface, including wood, plastic and metal.
