Maldives welcomes corporate visitors to mix business with pleasure

A nation of more than 1,190 islands strewn across the Indian Ocean, Maldives has long existed as a dreamy leisure destination where the crystal-clear waters, pristine beaches and luxury destination resorts, weave the image of paradise found. What is less known is that the country is perfectly positioned as a location for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), with the infrastructure and proven capacity to host events large and small, and for any budget, across its myriad properties.

Following the global campaign by Visit Maldives last year "Redefining MICE", the nation has boldly laid a new benchmark for businesses that want to reimagine the standard concept of MICE, forging a vision that breaks away from the sombre, serious affairs constrained by windowless conference halls, staid boardrooms and airless breakout sessions. Here, where the sand is always soft and the water silky and warm, MICE can be exciting, joyously merging business with pleasure.

Picture attending a boardroom session barefoot on the beach, team bonding over a picnic on an uninhabited island, incentive trips snorkelling with mantas or spotting whale sharks. How does this sound - night fishing, learning to cook Maldivian cuisine or taking tours of local islands, and hosting events where the gently lapping sea meets the sand? The views are of endless expanses of turquoise water, not monotonous grey walls and glaring monitors. It's a welcome break from the humdrum, the chance for corporate convocations to take place in a bucket-list destination, and the opportunity to create branding possibilities worth a million likes.

"Our islands offer a paradisiacal level of beauty coupled with world-renowned hospitality, putting us in a unique position to redefine MICE as we know it," says Mr Thoyyib Mohammed, chief executive officer and managing director of Visit Maldives. "Let's forgo indoor boardrooms and large conference halls. Think cocktails in hand, breath-taking sunsets, and an entire island to host your next business event."

The Maldives geography and tourism network has enabled it to seamlessly practise distancing and efficiently enforce health measures. Properties are largely set on their own islands, so, by definition, they are remote and removed from each other, allowing face-to-face meetings with the opportunity to conduct MICE away from crowds.

The rise of bleisure travel

As the lines between work and life blur, so have the distinctions between business and personal travel.

"Over the past year, with the ongoing pandemic, we're all keen to escape from screens and beat Zoom fatigue," notes Mr Thoyyib. "We are an award-winning honeymoon, family, beach and dive destination. We intend to provide the same unforgettable experiences and top-notch services to the MICE segment."

"Think barefoot, think boardrooms on the beach. We are famous for our unique 'one-island-one-resort' concept, ensuring unparallelled safety measures and privacy. These islands have been developed for the sole purpose of tourism. A team of dedicated personnel, from butlers to hosts, will be on hand to ensure meetings and conferences are coordinated down to the most minute details."

These teams can set up catered sessions in light-filled overwater bungalows, beverage breaks on beachfront lounge chairs (mocktail in hand, naturally), conferences in dedicated tents set in grounds filled with frangipani and bougainvillea, meetings on a sunset yacht cruise, banquet dinners under the stars kissed by the ocean's breeze where menus can be tailored to suit all and any dietary requirements. The possibilities are endless.

Strategic location with excellent air connectivity

Making all this even easier is that Maldives, a nation with a population a little over half a million, has exceptional air connectivity. Its position, with islands straddling the Equator, places it within hours of South-east Asia, the Gulf States, the Indian subcontinent, East Asia and Europe.

Airlines from all these regions fly directly into Velana International Airport, where meet-and-greet services, immigration and customs clearance and group or individual transfers to meeting venues by sea or air, make getting to the final destination uncommonly simple.

With all residents speaking English, and a deep history of tourism in the nation, Maldives has a track record of handling visitors from across the globe. During the pandemic, even as world travel ground to a halt, Maldives was granted the SafeTravels Stamp by the World Travel and Tourism Council in recognition of its health and hygiene global standardised protocols.

Velana International Airport received Airport Health Accreditation in September 2020 by Airports Council International, ahead of many other regional destinations. This gave Maldives the confidence to reopen borders to international tourists much earlier than other countries, resulting in 1.3 million arrivals in 2021 (just shy of the 1.7 million visitors in 2019, pre-pandemic) with safety protocols that still remain in place today.

Sustainable travel and practices

Furthermore, corporate social responsibility, an important factor for MICE planners, plays a key role in Maldives' tourism industry. Since tourism in this island nation is inextricably tied to the environment, authorities and resorts implement best practices in relation to sustainability, incorporating what is best for the environment at all levels.

Tourism service providers ensure their establishments choose recycling, plastic phaseout, and waste-management practices that are environmentally friendly. Most properties heavily invest in marine conservation, from coral plantation to safeguarding habitats for turtles and manta rays. These measures will ensure that the pure, pristine nature that attracts leisure, and corporate, visitors to this slice of paradise, will continue to endure for all to enjoy.

Learn more about Maldives as a MICE destination.