Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) has held its first quarterly tourism intelligence briefing for 2026, bringing together key industry stakeholders to review recent performance, assess market trends and discuss strategic priorities for the year ahead.

The session, titled Maldives Tourism Intelligence Briefing – Q1 2026, convened representatives from across the tourism sector, including policymakers and industry operators, and focused on the use of data and market intelligence to inform planning and decision-making.

Opening the briefing, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Ibrahim Shiuree, referred to the sector’s performance in 2025 and outlined key focus areas for 2026. He said the year ahead would place greater emphasis on content-driven promotion and market positioning, alongside continued engagement with industry partners.

Presentations during the session included an overview of arrival trends, source market composition and demand outlook delivered by Chief Operating Officer Sabeeha Ahmed, while Chief Commercial Officer Nasrulla Adam outlined promotional priorities planned for the year. Creative Director Ahmed Afruh Rasheed also shared details on digital marketing initiatives scheduled for the first half of 2026, including campaigns aimed at supporting demand during shoulder periods.

Closing the briefing, Chairperson of VMC’s Board of Directors Abdulla Giyas highlighted the role of the intelligence briefing as a forum for structured dialogue and industry feedback. He noted that recent tourism performance had been strong, and said future strategies would increasingly focus on value-based growth, visitor spending and seasonality, rather than volume alone, amid ongoing global economic uncertainty.

The session also included an interactive segment, allowing participants to share feedback and discuss common challenges facing the tourism sector. According to VMC, the briefing concluded with networking opportunities to support collaboration among stakeholders.

VMC said it plans to continue hosting the quarterly tourism intelligence briefings as part of efforts to strengthen information-sharing, industry engagement and data-informed policy development, with the next session scheduled for April.