At the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation’s (MMPRC/Visit Maldives) Annual General Meeting held on 15 July 2025, Chairperson Abdulla Ghiyas announced a landmark financial and operational recovery for the organization. Reflecting on the past year, he noted that the corporation had been burdened with deficits and inefficiencies just twelve months earlier but has since achieved a significant turnaround through decisive reforms, sharpened focus, and closer alignment with industry needs.
Chairperson Ghiyas detailed several key achievements during the meeting. He revealed that the organization successfully cut recurrent expenses by more than 10%, and the budget share dedicated to trade shows was reduced dramatically from 80% to 34%. This reallocation allowed MMPRC to invest more heavily in initiatives that generate greater impact. He also underscored the need for more accountable, performance-driven public relations worldwide, highlighting that for the past decade PR agencies primarily handled translation and logistics tasks without measurable results. MMPRC is now shifting its PR strategy toward outcome-based efforts.
Under Ghiyas’ leadership, the MMPRC has transformed into a modern, data-focused tourism board prioritizing measurable outcomes rather than mere visibility. The organization has adopted conversion-oriented, performance-based campaigns that have yielded strong market results. India, for example, reversed a prior 39% decline to now show a 4% growth. Additionally, Google search interest for the Maldives from Europe and Asia has surged over 1000%, signaling a remarkable global resurgence.
Ghiyas stated, “The Maldives is no longer just marked on the world travel map — we are prominently positioned. The upcoming six months promise even greater progress, with fresh partnerships and smarter marketing campaigns already underway.”
He also issued a cautionary message about destination marketing budgets, noting that regional competitors are investing substantially more in promoting their destinations, while the Maldives spends the least among its primary rivals. “This imbalance must be addressed carefully. Without maintaining visibility and competitiveness, the Maldives risks losing ground, which would be far more costly to the nation’s economy and people. Over the past 20 years, we have not matched the level of investment seen in our competing markets,” Ghiyas warned.
Concluding his remarks, Chairperson Ghiyas expressed sincere thanks to government collaborators, private sector partners, and the MMPRC team. He affirmed that the transformation reflects a collective effort: “MMPRC today operates by the industry and for the industry. We are crafting not just the Maldives’ greatest tourism narrative, but one that Maldivians themselves can take pride in.”
Through strategic reforms, financial discipline, and unified industry vision, Chairperson Abdulla Ghiyas is steering MMPRC to elevate Maldives tourism to unprecedented global success.