Maldives takes part in the 50th BOOT Fair in Messe Düsseldorf, Germany. The Fair is one of the largest watersports trade fairs in the world. The fair this year is focused on the motto “360° watersports experience”. Over 1900 exhibitors from 68 countries will be showcasing their products in 14 categories in the exhibition. 250,000 visitors from 90 nations are expected to visit the fair this year. 10 Participants from 5 different companies from the Maldivian tourism industry have travelled to Dusseldorf for the exhibition. This year’s fair will introduce several interactive activities for visitors including dive experiences, surfing, water sports and electronic sports.
With 99% water and the unique underwater beauty, Maldives has traditionally been a dive destination and continues to attract divers every year. Based on the preliminary findings of the Maldives Visitor Survey conducted in September 2016,16 percent of the tourists were motivated to visit Maldives because of its underwater beauty. As this is an important aspect of the destination, promoting our underwater beauty is essential and BOOT fair is an ideal platform to reach this segment.
Germany remains the second largest source market for the Maldivian Tourism industry. Boot will help us reach to this niche segment of the German market. By November 2018 a total of 106,660 German tourists visited the Maldives. It is a 3.5% growth with 8% market share.
