MATATO - PATA Maldives Chapter

https://matato.org/featured-detail.php?slug=maldives-secures-five-honours-at-world-travel-awards-asia-oceania-indian-ocean-gala-2026

Maldives secures five honours at World Travel Awards Asia, Oceania & Indian Ocean Gala 2026 The Maldives has secured five major honours at the World Travel Awards Asia, Oceania & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2026, held at CROSSROADS Maldives on World Tourism Day, 27 September, as the prestigious regional ceremony returned to the destination for the first time in a decade.

Visit Maldives
tps://matato.org/featured-detail.php?slug=travel-leaders-gather-in-the-maldives-for-world-travel-awards-asia-oceania-indian-ocean-gala-ceremony-2026

Travel leaders gather in the Maldives for World Travel Awards Asia, Oceania & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2026 The Maldives is preparing to welcome travel and tourism leaders from across the region for the World Travel Awards Asia, Oceania & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2026, powered by Bank of Maldives. The ceremony will take place at CROSSROADS Maldives on Sunday, 27 September 2026, coinciding with World Tou...

🌍 World Tourism Day 2026 🌍
Let us embrace digital transformation to create smarter, more sustainable and connected tourism experiences, while keeping people and authentic experiences at the heart of our industry.
Happy World Tourism Day! ✈️🌴
27 September 2026

MATATO in TGST Destination Principle ge aa usool thakuge asaruthah dhenegathumah survey eh fashaifi Read more at sun.mv

MATATO begins survey to identify impacts of new TGST regulations Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) has launched the ‘TGST Destination Principal Impact Survey’ to evaluate the commercial and operational impacts of new tax regulations scheduled to come into effect next month affecting overseas sellers of...

Press Release : MATATO Launches Survey on Impact of New TGST Destination Principle Requirements

The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) has launched the TGST Destination Principle Impact Survey to assess the commercial and operational implications of new tax requirements affecting overseas sellers of Maldives tourism products from 1 October 2026. The changes concern inbound tourism products and related booking or agency services, as outlined in MIRA’s published guidance.

MATATO invites local and international travel agents, tour operators, resorts, hotels, guesthouses, online travel agencies, bed banks, airlines and other tourism businesses to participate.

The short survey examines potential effects on pricing, contracts, bookings, profit margins, compliance costs and destination competitiveness. It also seeks estimates of annual revenue at risk and feedback on whether businesses have sufficient time to prepare.

Building on MATATO’s previous industry surveys and stakeholder consultations, this initiative continues the association’s commitment to evidence-based advocacy. Responses will help inform recommendations to the Government and industry stakeholders on practical measures to address challenges and support the tourism sector.

MATATO stresses the importance of understanding the implications across the tourism supply chain and ensuring that both Maldivian businesses and overseas partners have a voice in discussions affecting the destination’s future.
Industry stakeholders are encouraged to respond at the earliest opportunity. Providing contact details is optional.

Complete the survey here - https://forms.gle/WPcxDZaoG1ZnYLYV9

The ‘I AM Maldives Roadshow’ is coming to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Almaty, from September 21-25, 2026

In collaboration with Visit Maldives Corporation and MATATO - PATA Maldives this event will connect Maldives resorts, guesthouses, hotels, liveaboards, and travel agencies with industry professionals across the CIS region to boost tourism and showcase the Maldives’ unique offerings.

Highlights include:
Destination presentations
Raffle giveaways with holiday packages
Networking with travel professionals

cisregion

Stay informed. Here are this week's updates on travel within Asia Pacific and beyond:

🔹 Tourism Board to set up information desk for missing, rescued tourists. Pilgrimage disrupted, key hubs remain open.
🔹 removes January pause on immigrant visa issuance, but delayed to be expected as global training takes place.
🔹 to officially cut visa-free stay to 30 days on Sep 15, 2026
🔹 introduces online system for visa-on-arrival applications.
🔹 to offer preferential visas to foreign visitors who spend more, stay longer.
🔹 exempts existing bookings from new tourism tax.
🔹 suspends implementation of mandatory travel health insurance for foreign travellers.

🔸 (ROK)'s Jin Air, Air Busan, and Air Seoul set to merge into one airline.
🔸 records 91.6% hotel occupancy in July amid guest decline.
🔸 appoint new Managing Director.
🔸 crosses 1.5M tourist arrival milestone, eyes 2.5M.
🔸 hotel market recovers in H1 on stronger arrivals.
🔸 sees record summer tourism driven by concerts, film festival.
🔸 Mallorca stages fresh tourism protest.

Find full updates on 48 destinations within Asia Pacific and beyond: https://www.pata.org/asia-pacific-snapshot-travel-dashboard

Receive weekly Asia Pacific travel updates: https://bit.ly/3SJ5Rsd

MATATO met with the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) today for a detailed discussion on the implementation of the destination principle and the concerns of our members.

Key issues raised included:

• The requirement for foreign agents and tour operators working through local partners to register with MIRA. With thousands of partners across multiple markets, MATATO stressed the need for more time, clearer procedures and awareness in multiple languages.

• The short implementation timeline, as much of the upcoming season and travel after 1 October has already been contracted, priced and sold.

• Concerns over the amount of overseas partner data that local businesses may be required to submit, including confidentiality and data protection.

• The financial impact on existing bookings. In many European markets, consumer protection rules restrict changes to prices once packages have been sold, meaning local agents or their partners may have to absorb additional costs.

MATATO supports a fair taxation system. However, implementation must reflect the realities of international tourism distribution and must not place Maldivian travel businesses at a disadvantage.

Local agents have spent decades building international partnerships and bringing business to the Maldives. Protecting and strengthening them must remain a priority.

MATATO has also requested to work with MIRA on awareness workshops for members and to provide further clarity on the regulations, registration process and implementation requirements.

We appreciate MIRA for engaging with the industry and look forward to continued dialogue towards practical solutions that protect both government revenue and local businesses.

Gen Z & Gen Alpha are leading APAC's tourism, has your business strategy caught up yet? ☝️

By 2030, nearly half of global travel growth will come from APAC, with Gen Z accounting for almost 25% of its total spend! Right behind them, Gen Alpha is already steering family travel decisions through parent proxies, long before holding their own credit cards.🧑‍🧑‍🧒 However, traditional loyalty programmes have yet to engage this rising demographic.

Furthermore, as social-native planning transitions into the AI-native booking era, unindexed or un-structured inventory risks total exclusion from machine-mediated search algorithms.

Produced in partnership with Euromonitor International, the September 2026 edition of Tourism in Focus reveals how brands can pivot to capture these rising generations:
🔹 The Top 10 destination features prioritised by APAC travellers in 2026
🔹 Strategies to pivot loyalty programmes from volume-based points to instant experiential rewards
🔹 Essential steps to ensure your inventory is machine-readable for AI-native travel planning

📚Get to know your new target market better: https://www.pata.org/research-q1v63g6n2dw/p/tourism-in-focus-september-26