Maldives Through the Lens of National Geographic Russia Photographer Ivan Dementievsky

Tuesday 23rd of March 2021

Ivan Dementievsky is a renowned photographer representing National Geographic Russia. His techniques of storytelling through captured moments on his cameras have earned him recognition and respect as one of the greatest talents in the field.

Collaborating with Ivan, Visit Maldives plans to host photo exhibitions in Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia in the summer. Aimed at promoting destination presence in the Russian market, this exhibition will feature authentic Maldivian experiences through the lens of Ivan Dementievsky.

Ivan is in the Maldives currently, staying from March 18 until March 29 across the properties Diamonds Athuruga Beach and Water Villas, W Maldives, Plumeria Maldives, White Lagoon Fehendhoo and the liveaboard Scuba Spa. During his two weeks stay, Ivan will be exposed to various different experiences a guest on a vacation in the Maldives can indulge in, such as sunset cruises in a traditional dhoni, swimming with dolphins, shipwreck visits, water sports activities, and many more. Most of the experiences will be unique to the Maldives, giving him a glimpse into the Maldivian island life through cooking traditional Maldivian meals, big game fishing, local island experiences, and traditional activities such as Boduberu and Dhandi Jehun.

It has been decided that 50 photos will be used for the campaign as follows:

- 32 photos will be used for the exhibition in Moscow

- 16 out of the 32 photos will be used in the exhibition in St. Petersburg

- The remaining photos will be used to promote the exhibition

- National Geographic will also feature 26 images on the website as a virtual exhibition

Visit Maldives’ aim is to showcase the culture, traditions, heritage and the local island experience of Maldives to entice the Russian market in the photo exhibitions. The campaign will promote Maldives as a safe haven for travelers and highlight the unique geographical formation of Maldives.

Russia is the second largest source market to the Maldives post the pandemic with increasing potential being shown throughout this year. Statistics show that 84,289 Russians have visited from the Russian market since the border reopening in July 2020.

Tapping into the growth, Visit Maldives have planned several initiatives are underway to market the destination in Russia. In this regard, high impact campaigns on both offline and online platforms are in the pipeline for the market with several more collaborations with media and key stakeholders in the market. Furthermore, high impact campaigns such as media familiarization trips have been conducted earlier this year, with more planned for the upcoming months. 

Photos: Visit Maldives