The Maldives Welcomes its First Tourist Of The New Year 2023

Monday 2nd of January 2023

On Sunday, the Maldives welcomed the first tourist visitor to the country for the year with a warm welcome bestowed on the guest. The first visitor was an individual from Russia, Nikolai Stratichuk who arrived in the Maldives onboard Etihad Airways flight Ey278 during the early morning hours of Sunday. He was received at Velana International Airport by a delegation of senior officials from Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) along with executives from the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Immigration and the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).

This was Nikolai’s first visit to the Maldives and he was accompanied by his family. Several gifts were conferred to the guest to mark the occasion including an exclusive 5-night stay at Reethi Faru Resort along with other offerings from MMPRC, MACL, Ministry of Tourism and Dhiraagu.

As the Maldives begins a new year in the tourism industry, the CEO & MD of MMPRC reflected on the success of the previous year and remarked “MMPRC and the Maldives Tourism Industry’s concerted drive to provide visitors with options to relax and rejuvenate after the effects of the global pandemic bore fruit as hundreds of thousands of visitors flocked to the Maldives with the assurances of a safe vacation. “

He further spoke stating “Thanks to ‘natural social distancing’ as an archipelago nation, the safety of holidaymakers in the Maldives is further enhanced under our distinctive ‘one island, one resort’ concept and close attention to covid safety guidelines at every turn. This past year has been one of immense success for the Maldives, winning award after award. We welcome the first visitor of 2023 with a smile on our faces, and the aim in our hearts to maintain the successes of last year.”

In 2022, Maldives also managed to secure the title of ‘World’s Leading Destination’ for the third consecutive year, a testimony to the trust placed by travellers on the Sunny Side of Life. Moreover, the Maldives also reached its tourist arrival target for the year, celebrating the warm welcome of 1.6 million tourists to the pristine shores of the country. Additionally, 88 marketing campaigns were conducted by MMPRC worldwide, playing a vital role in maintaining destination presence and visibility in top source markets.