International Maldives Travel Market (IMTM) 2018 which was held at Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi resort from Saturday to Sunday has successfully come to an end.

The travel trade show was inaugurated by Finance minister Ahmed Munawar. Officials from relevant government authorities and partner organisations attended the inauguration ceremony held at the event venue Saturday morning.

According to Mohamed Farshath, the Managing Director of IMTM Pvt Ltd, who spoke at the ceremony, the international travel trade fair seeks to provide a cost-effective internal platform which can garner a significant corporate industry presence.He said that the IMTM 2018 is different from most conventional travel and trade fairs in the sense that at IMTM 2018 hosted buyers (tour operators and travel agencies) which were stationed at private meeting spaces acting as exhibitors.

He also added that one of the critical aspects of IMTM 2018 is providing a semi-formal setting by hosting the exhibition in a pristine tropical resort in the Maldives and allowing participants to accommodate in a true Maldivian holiday experience before, during and after the official exhibition dates.

IMTM has received endorsements from key industry stakeholders, including the tourism ministry, Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), Liveaboard Association of Maldives (LAM), Association of Travel Agents (ATA) Maldives and Guesthouse Association of Maldives (GAM).

The Islandchief was assigned as the Travel Tabloid Partner for IMTM While Maldives Insider was assigned as Travel News Partner and MV Hotels was announced as Travel Media Partner. Kaimoo Hotels, Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and Metal Signs joined as Bronze Partners. Maagiri Hotel also signed up as the Hotel Partner, while Print Lab Creative was announced as the Printing Partner.

Furthermore,  Dhiraagu, Astrabon, Stage Core, Maldives Ports Limited (MPL), Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), Allied Insurance Company, Greater Male Industrial Zone Limited, Resort Life Travel, Capital Travel, Coca-Cola, Cyprea Card Centre, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways and Public Service Media (PSM) also signed up as partners for this years IMTM.

IMTM 2018 which was the first international travel and trade fair held at a resort in the Maldives was designed to accommodate close to 50 DMCs representative of 20 countries spread throughout five continents. It was also able to accommodate 200 participants from the local tourism industry.