MATI Launches First MATI Insight Event to Boost Tourism Expertise
Wednesday 15th of May 2024
The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) hosted the first-ever MATI Insight event today at H. Meeruma in Male’. The event saw participation from MATI members, high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Tourism, and the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).
MATI Insight is designed as a series of knowledge-sharing events aimed at spreading expertise and best practices in the tourism industry. The series will cover a wide range of topics, including Revenue, Sales and Marketing, Branding, Environmental Conservation, Human Capital Development, and Technology and Innovation.
The event began with a networking session, followed by presentations from Trip.com Group, STR, Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight), and Lottiefiles. This was followed by a Q&A session and discussions among attendees.
Mr. Karan Mahesh, Senior Sales Manager for Central & South Asia at STR, gave a presentation titled “Maldives – Living the Dream (?)”, providing an overview of the Maldives' hospitality sector performance in a global context. Next, Mr. Sachin Koshe, Senior Business Development Manager for the Indian Subcontinent at Lighthouse, presented “Maximising Profits in 2024: Spotlight on Maldives’ Tourism Trends”. He highlighted emerging travel and booking trends and strategies for optimizing profitability in the Maldives tourism sector.
Ms. Freda Shi, Area Manager for Maldives & Singapore at Trip.com Group, presented “Enabling Hotels to Embrace the Future of Travel – How to Get More than Fair Share in China”. She offered insights into emerging travel trends, traveler behavior, and booking patterns, along with strategies to capture demand from China. Lastly, Mr. Mahfooz Ali, Lottie Studio Lead, and Ms. Mariyam Lubaba Mohamed, Content Marketer at Lottiefiles, discussed the importance of incorporating motion designs in marketing materials to boost brand visibility and engagement in their presentation titled “Why Motion for Businesses?”
The event concluded with a closing statement by Mr. Ahmed Nazeer, Secretary General of MATI, followed by a networking lunch.
The inaugural MATI Insight event was a resounding success, fostering valuable discussions and insights among industry leaders and experts. With this new series, MATI aims to continuously enhance the knowledge and skills within the Maldives' tourism sector, ensuring it remains a top destination globally.