Oman Air the newest entrant to the Maldivian skies will commence operations on the 24th with 04 weekly flights to Male, with convenient connections to the Gulf, Middle East and Europe.

Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, offers an outstanding First and Business Class product, excellent services and a modern fleet; positioning itself as a boutique airline in the premium segment.

“We are very excited about commencing operations in Maldives. It will open up new opportunities for people travelling between Muscat and Maldives, and will soon prove to be a winner for both business and leisure customers,” said Mr. Peter Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air.

Oman Air, the flagship company of the Sultanate of Oman’s Civil Aviation sector, commenced operations in 1993. Starting off as a regional player, Oman Air, as Oman’s national carrier has witnessed rapid growth since then.

“Oman Air’s entry into Maldives comes at an opportune time, As a full-fledged commercial airline, Oman Air has always maintained high performance standards, and will continue to do so. Our flights to Maldives also offers passengers the most modern and fuel-efficient aircrafts with aesthetically designed interiors,” said Mr. Gihan Karunaratne, Country Manager – Sri Lanka & Maldives, Oman Air.

Oman Air currently operates direct international flights from its hub in Oman, Muscat to Gulf destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh. In the subcontinent to: Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Bangalore, Kozhikode, Jaipur, Chittagong and Karachi; flights to the UK and Europe include London, Frankfurt, Munich and Paris, Far East includes Bangkok and in the Middle East to Cairo, Beirut and Amman. Oman Air also operates domestic flights from Muscat to Salalah and Khasab.

Ultra-modern in-flight service equipment is deployed onboard to improve safety and overall performance. Investment in new technology, planning and product innovation has propelled Oman Air to the forefront of the aviation industry.

Oman Air stands tall with a list of achievements to its credit. It is the first airline in the Gulf to introduce the brand new Boeing NG 737 aircraft series. Oman Air’s safety record is a matter of pride and also boasts excellent on-time performance – OTP exceeding 95%.

Oman Air strives hard to enhance products in terms of convenience, efficiency and service so that flying is consistently an enjoyable experience. Achieving and maintaining internationally recognized standards of quality and safety is a continuous and uncompromising process in every department of Oman Air.

The Maldives is nominated as an Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination in the Word Travel Awards 2009 announced on Friday, July 31, 2009. Maldives is also a favorite nominee form a number of other categories. 16 Maldivian Resorts/Hotels are nominated from 9 different Indian Ocean Categories, including 7 in the Indian Ocean’s Leading Resort category. In total, The Maldives has 35 nominations in Indian Ocean’s category.

Categories in which Maldives is nominated are:

Only a few weeks remain before voting for these categories close on August 14, 2009. The whole tourism industry awaits the 16th Annual World Gala Ceremony, scheduled to be held at the Grosvenor House, London on November 08, 2009. Voting for this monumental event will commence on August 17, 2009.

Find more about the Maldives.

The Angsana Resort & Spa Maldives Ihuru is celebrating the summer season with a “Summer 3-2-1” promotion which allows guests to stay three nights on full-board and get the third night free. Rates start from US$800++ per night in a Deluxe Beachfront Villa (double occupancy).

The promotion is valid until 31 October 2009. For stays in July, full-board meals will also be included during the complimentary one-night stay, but not in the subsequent months.

Located on the North Malé Atoll just 20 minutes by speedboat from Malé, the capital of the Maldives, and the Malé International Airport, Ihuru is one of the most picturesque islands in the Indian Ocean.

The Angsana Resort & Spa Maldives Ihuru features 25 Beachfront Villas and 20 Deluxe Beachfront Villas each complete with a private garden, a veranda with a Maldivian swing, and an outdoor shower. In addition, each Deluxe Beachfront Villa comes equipped with a private jet pool.

As one of the best dive sites in Maldives, the resort naturally provides a wide variety of sea sports facilities, including a diving school which was awarded the PADI ‘Gold Palm Resort’ certification. Snorkelling is just a step away, as the coral reefs are located a few metres from the beach.

Guests at the Angsana Spa can indulge in soothing treatments that focus on the healing sense of touch and the use of natural ingredients to pamper the body, mind and spirit. Duet, a specially created couple spa package and other tailored male and female spa packages are treats that complement a sunny vacation. The spa treatments are carried out at eight luxurious spa pavilions, two of which are equipped with outdoor jet pools and steam baths.

To tempt the discerning diner, the resort boasts an excellent restaurant, Riveli, offering a marriage of Asian and Mediterranean cuisine with a touch of local flavour. Guests can also opt for a private in-villa barbecue or a romantic dinner for two on a remote sandbank. To end the evening, guests can relax at the Velaavani Bar as they enjoy the cool sea breeze and maybe spot a turtle swimming by in the lagoon.

Maldives Tourism Promotion Board participated for the first time at the 13th annual Unique Choice Road Show held in 6 cities of GCC countries namely Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Dammam/Al-Khober, Riyadh, Jeddah from 30th May till 3rd June 2009.

Unique Choice group is identified as one of the top wholesale tour operator in the Middle East region. These workshops are marked as one of the important events each year due to its success targeting tour operators/ travel agents in the GCC region. The main objectives of Maldives participation in the road show was to increase market share from the Middle East countries by providing the travel trade with the most updated tourism information on the Maldives and secure commitments for the future promotions of the Maldives among their clients. Furthermore, to ensure that as many travel agents and tour operators as possible have the tools they need to be able to effectively promote Maldives island resorts.

The workshops started in Abu Dhabi on the 30th May, with a networking session followed by a lunch at the Crowne Plaza in Abu Dhabi. More than 50 travel agents and tour operators were invited to the work shop, while majority of the visitor showed a keen interest in visiting the Maldives booth to collect information. Emphasis was placed on the warm welcome that GCC nationals and resident expatriates will receive when visiting the islands and the easy accessibility to the country in terms of flight connections and visa procedures.

The Maldives is currently the ultimate getaway for those who are attracted by private islands, stunning beaches and crystal clear waters. The Maldives provides the perfect backdrop for a relaxing, rejuvenating holiday, which is a welcome contrast to the frantic pace of life in the Arabian Gulf.

The workshop session was concluded by a raffle draw held among the visitors by giving away several free vacation prizes from the participating hotels/resorts. Among other participants include destination such as Malaysia, Singapore, Oman and a collection of resorts/hotels from these destinations.

Similar format was adopted for the event in Dubai on the same day, where more than 75 travel agents and tour operators were invited to the JW Marriot Hotel in Dubai which was concluded by a dinner.

Last year Maldives welcomed a total of 683,012 visitors while a total of 9,141 tourists represented the Middle East region. By end of May 2009 Maldives received 3,082 tourists from the region showing a growth of 2.5 per cent compared to the same period of 2008.

The Maldives cabinet members have decided to hold Asia’s first Beach and Water sports tournament in the Maldives. The tournament is planned to be held in 2010.

The members of the cabinet noted that hosting this event would be an opportunity for the Maldives to promote its tourism as well as to promote sports tourism in the Maldives.

A committee was also appointed to organize the tournament. The committee would include State Ministers at the Ministry of Human Resources, Youth and Sports; Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; Ministry of Defence and National Security; Ministry of Home Affairs; Ministry of Finance and Treasury; and, Ministry of Economic Development.