The countdown to the 17th SAARC Summit is on and it will take place on November 10, 2011 at Addu City, Maldives. The theme of the summit is “Building Bridges” and one of its goals is to improve communication among member countries. Part of the goal of the summit is to not only enhance communication, but also to determine the various problems affecting each member country as well as all of the countries collectively.

The Summit will provide a platform for members and stakeholders to communicate, address one another, and learn from one another. The Summit will be held in Addu City and Fuvamulah.There will be heads of state as well as ministers from various countries in attendance. The Maldives is putting the finishing touches on the plans for the Summit and awaits a successful event.

Maldives extended a warm welcome to the 750,000th visitor to the country today. British citizen, Mrs. Daniela Ruth Selig arrived Maldives this morning by British Airways flight which landed at 0920hrs.

Mrs. Selig clocked the 750,000th visitor mark at the immigration counter where she was met by the officials of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture and the Maldives Tourism promotion Board and were presented with a beautiful flower bouquet and sash. Mrs. Selig arrived in the Maldives with her husband and two children. They were escorted with a warm welcome procession of traditional Boduberu beats and dance from the arrival terminal up to the VIP lounge where they were warmly welcomed by The Minister of State for Tourism, Arts & Culture Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed together with the senior officials of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board and representatives of the Tourism Industry of Maldives.

At the VIP lounge, Mrs. Selig was presented with a gift and a special letter from the Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture extending a warm welcome and offering a special holiday package for two in the Maldives within the coming year.

UK is one of the biggest generating market to the Maldives with a total of 95,586 arrivals to the Maldives from January to October. This is an increase of 9.4% compared to the same period of 2009. The 750,000th visitor being a British citizen is thought to create more interest and publicity to the destination especially amongst the British consumers.
Mrs. Selig is spending her holiday at Anantara Digu with her family. This is her second holiday in the Maldives.

The island nation of the Maldives celebrates National Pavilion Day today.

An official ceremony was held in the Expo Center this morning. Maldives would showcase the country’s cultural heritage and society to the world via the platform of the Expo, Mahmood Razee, Maldives’ Minister of Economic Development, said at the ceremony.

Mahmood Razee

Shao Qiwei, director of China’s National Tourism Administration, said Chinese and Maldivian people have long-term friendly exchange and he believed visitors would learn more about the country’s modern lifestyle via its exhibition.

The Maldives Pavilion is in the Asia Joint Pavilion I in Zone A.

The pavilion theme is “Maldives, Tomorrow.”

In the past decade, the Maldives has grown into a model of tourism and environmental protection with tourism and fishery as the pillars of its development. It is also a leader in the fight against global warming, since rising waters encroach every year on the small island.

The pavilion showcases the country’s modern life by describing efforts in cultural preservation and environmental protection while developing industries.

Displays include folk art.

Marine resources include tuna, skipjack, lobster, shark and hawksbill sea turtles.

Source: en.expo2010.cn

Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, who is also very popular in the Maldives and across the world, is set to perform in the country on June 6, event organisers have announced.

The music show, titled “Mega Music Show 2010″, is being organised by Inex Private in collaboration with Arts Solution and the Maldives Swimming and Life Saving Skills Training School. It will be the first time that Shahrukh Khan has performed in the Maldives. Rallies and other promotional events are already being held across Malé to gain more exposure for the event. The show is scheduled to be held at the empty lot called “Gaakoshi” in Ameenee Magu, next to Sinamalé apartments.

In addition to the Bollywood superstar, popular local bands and dance groups will also be performing at the show, according to the organisers.

Tickets for the show, costing Rf 800 for “general entry” tickets and Rf 1,000 for “VIP” tickets, are available now at the following shops in Malé: Venus, Venus Style, College, and Kids Republic.

When asked about the two different “classes” of tickets, an official involved in the event told Maldives Traveller that the VIP tickets were for the front row, the best seats in the house.

Source: www.maldivestraveller.mv

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.