Visit Maldives Represents the Maldives at PATA Travel Mart 2026 in Sarawak

Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) represented the Maldives at PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2026, held from 18 to 20 August at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching in Sarawak, Malaysia. VMC was joined by three industry partners: Swarn by Hawks, ICOM BLUE SEAVIEW, and AAA Hotels & Resorts.

PTM 2026 brought together more than 1,100 delegates from 48 countries, including 221 buyers from 215 companies across 29 source markets and over 365 sellers representing more than 200 organisations. It was the first time PATA's flagship travel trade event has been held in Sarawak.

VMC CEO and Managing Director Ibrahim Shiuree said South East Asia remains an important region for the Maldives. "PATA Travel Mart provides a valuable platform to strengthen our engagement with the travel trade and build meaningful partnerships," he said. "Our participation allows us to showcase the Maldives beyond its established luxury appeal, highlighting the wide range of experiences available across our islands, while gaining valuable insights into evolving traveller preferences and market opportunities."

Malaysia contributed 10,446 visitors to the Maldives between January and June 2026, down slightly from 11,269 during the same period in 2025. Arrivals from the wider South East Asian region also dipped, from 35,198 in the first half of 2025 to 31,776 in the first half of 2026.

At Kuching, VMC and its partners held one-on-one business meetings with travel trade representatives, distributed destination materials and met with regional stakeholders. The visit builds on a broader push this year to diversify the Maldives' source markets beyond its traditional strongholds in Europe and China.

With South East Asian arrivals softening slightly this year, the presence at PTM 2026 signals VMC's intent to shore up the region before it slips further. Further B2B activity in the region is expected as the Maldives works toward its 2.5 million arrival target for 2026.