Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) has begun a three-city roadshow in Australia aimed at promoting the Maldives and strengthening partnerships with the Australian travel industry.

The roadshow opened in Perth today and will continue in Melbourne on 22 July and Sydney on 23 July. Held under the "Visit Maldives Week" initiative, the events bring together travel trade professionals, media, influencers and tourism stakeholders with representatives from the Maldivian tourism industry.

VMC said the roadshow will provide opportunities for business-to-business meetings, destination presentations, networking sessions and promotional activities. Media and influencer networking sessions have also been included to expand the Maldives' visibility in the Australian market.

The event follows the launch of Maldivian's direct flights between Malé and Melbourne in May this year. VMC said the new route has improved connectivity between the two countries and provides additional opportunities to increase visitor arrivals from Australia.

Australia has continued to record growth as a tourism market for the Maldives. Between January and May this year, the Maldives welcomed 20,126 Australian visitors, an increase of 14.1 per cent compared with the same period last year. Australia was the Maldives' 10th largest source market during the period, accounting for 2.2 per cent of total tourist arrivals. Arrivals from Australia also increased by 24.2 per cent in May compared with the same month last year.

VMC said 77.2 per cent of Australian visitors choose resort accommodation, while increasing numbers are also staying at guesthouses, hotels and liveaboards.

Eleven Maldivian tourism companies are participating in the roadshow: Coco Bodu Hithi, Fushifaru Maldives, Voyages Maldives Pvt Ltd, Island Aviation Services Limited, Villa Resorts, Baglioni Resort Maldives, Pulse Hotels & Resorts, Resort Life Travel Pvt Ltd, Exciting Maldives, Splendid Asia Pvt Ltd, and Arrival Beach and Spa.

VMC said the Australia roadshow forms part of its broader marketing activities in the country, which also include joint campaigns with Luxury Escapes, influencer collaborations, familiarisation trips and targeted advertising.