Tourism Diversity Festival to kick-off this month

Tourism Minister Dr. Abdulla Mausoom has announced plans to launch a Tourism Diversity Festival in Maldives; the first one of which will be held this month.

Mausoom made the announcement while speaking at the ceremony held at the Velana International Airport (VIA) on Sunday to welcome this year’s one millionth tourist.

He told Sun that while May-July is traditionally the low season for tourism in Maldives, the number of arrivals now is far higher to call it a “low” season.

Mausoom said the May-July period can be called a “mid-season”, and that the festival is being introduced to boost arrivals during the season.

“Though the new diversity festival will kick-off small this year, it will be far bigger in the years to come, with tourists from across the world eager to visit Maldives just to attend the Tourism Diversity Festival,” he said.

Mausoom said the Tourism Ministry has more such initiatives planned for the future.

This year’s festival will be held in the Male’ area, and will see the presentation of traditions, customs, cultures, and lifestyles unique to islands across Maldives.

“This is something modern-day tourists are eager to experience. But tourists cannot travel all 185 islands of this country. But if we can show all the islands from one place, then they can imagine how much more exciting it is in the islands, if a festival is so exciting,” he said.

The Tourism Diversity Festival will be held by the Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the Heritage Ministry and the Home Ministry.

In addition to the Tourism Ministry, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) as well as other industry stakeholders are engaged in multiple efforts to boost arrivals.

Statistics show that daily arrivals, which stood above 5,000 visitors during the peak season, has now dropped below 4,000.