maldives dazzles Aussie delegates at Malé tourism gathering
20 September 023
It's not easy to impress someone whose job it is to explore the world's most idyllic
escapes, but after returning from a major tourism conference in Malé, even Entire
Travel Group's Destination Manager Islands Lisa Tappin describes the Maldives as "a
simply surreal destination".
Along with Entire's Travel & Product Advisor Dennise Biglietto, Tappin recently travelled to
the Indian Ocean archipelago to meet with key hotels and suppliers at Travel Trade Maldives
(TTM), a two-day trade show that attracts around 500 travel trade professionals, including
150 exhibitors.
After meeting with a wide range of operators, Tappin and Biglietto left their base at JEN
Maldives Male by Shangri-La and embarked on an exclusive eight-day familiarisation trip to
further enrich their knowledge of a destination that is currently exploding in popularity with
Australian travellers.
Using various modes of transportation - including seaplanes and speedboats - and pair
visited some of the archipelago’s most arresting atolls, staying at properties such as Centara
Ras Fushi, Sun Siyam Olhuveli, Sun Siyam Iru Veli and Ayada Maldives.
"The highlight was probably swimming with sharks and turtles at the Sun Siyam Olhuveli,"
says Tappin. "We also went out on a boat one day to see dolphins and found ourselves
surrounded by around 70 of them."
Tappin says there are good reasons why - beyond the clear waters, coral reefs, overwater
bungalows and world-class cuisine - the Maldives are attracting record numbers of
Australian bookings.
"It is of course an ideal honeymoon, anniversary and special birthday destination, but it's
also attracting increasing numbers of families. One of the reasons is that the addition of new
properties has brought prices down, plus Australians enjoy the fact that the luxury resorts
are all inclusive and the Maldivian culture is very warm and welcoming.
"We are also seeing more people using the Maldives - which is typically a 12-hour flight from
Australia's east coast - as a stopover destination on the way to or from Europe. It's even
becoming a popular half-way point to meet European-based friends and relatives.
"It's certainly a somewhere everyone should visit at least once because it's simply a surreal
destination."
For more information visit https://www.entiretravel.com.au