LAM: More efforts needed to promote Liveaboard Tourism

Liveaboard Association of Maldives (LAM) has said that the Maldives has the largest number of Liveaboards in Asia and further efforts are required to promote the Maldivian Liveaboard Toursim.

Speaking on PSM's Talk Maldives program, the Vice President of LAM, Ismail Hameed (Highrise Issey) said that the Maldives has the largest number of Liveaboard vessels compared to the other destinations in the continent.

There were 151 Liveaboards registered and operated by the end of 2017 with a combined bed capacity of 2,800.

Issey said that Liveaboards are popular in Asian, African and Middle Eastern destinations but the Maldives has the highest number of them. He said that the Maldivian Liveaboard Tourism is very different than that of the other countries.

The Vice President of LAM said that the Maldives was previously promoted as a diving destination which has a Liveaboard component. But now that the country is being promoted a a wellness and luxury destination, the Liveaboard component has been omitted from the marketing.

He said that a major effort needs to be put in to market the Liveaboard Tourism in the Maldives. Issey said that the meeting with the foreign companies at the exhibitions by the Maldivian Liveaboard industry has been very successful.

The purpose of going to those exhibitions is to meet with diving tour operators and "sell" the Maldivian diving tourism and has been very successful according to Issey.