Siyam: Maldives should seek new tourism markets

The biggest challenge faced by the local tourism industry is lack of marketing, says Chairman and Managing Director of Sun Hotels and Resorts, Ahmed Siyam Mohamed.

Speaking to Sun Online after the Hospitality Investment Conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Siyam said that Maldives is among the world’s top tourist destinations, and in order to sustain this status, it should advertise more and increase participation in international tourism conferences.

“Lack of proper marketing would make it difficult for us to achieve our goals. There are challenges for markets such as Europe, so we have to focus on regions such as the Middle East as well,” he said.

While speaking at the conference, Siyam highlighted that public spending on tourism promotion had gone down, and called on authorities to prioritise advertising the local tourism industry.

The conference, held at Galle Face Hotel from 25 to 26 May 2015, was also addressed by Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adeeb.