Abdulla Ghiyas appointed as MMPRC’s new chairperson

Abdulla Ghiyas, the president of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), has been appointed as the chairperson of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).

The appointment was made on Thursday.

Abdulla, with over 20 years of experience working in the tourism sector, replaces Aisha Nurain Janah, who resigned from the post on May 21.

Abdulla told Sun on Thursday that his entire focus is on elevating Maldives’ tourism industry to a new level.

And he is confident he can get it done.

“I will work to elevate Maldives’ tourism board and tourism promotion to the next level,” he said.

Abdulla said the biggest challenge facing Maldives’ tourism industry is to create demand to meet the supply. He said that the MMPRC will be rolling out tailor-made promotional activities for different markets.

He also has plans to boost arrivals from India – which had been the top source market post-Covid-19 pandemic – before a diplomatic row plummeted numbers.

Abdulla said MMPRC will hold roadshows in three of India’s biggest cities later this month – Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi. He added that the corporation is in talks with multiple Indian airlines, some of which will increase the frequency of flights to Maldives in September.

Abdulla, who joined MATATO 18 years ago as a secretary, will retain his current post as the association’s president. He is among one of Maldives’ most experienced when it comes to tourism promotion.

Fathimath Thaufeeq, who was appointed as MMPRC’s Managing Director on December 17, 2023, was dismissed from the post a day after Nurain tendered her resignation as the corporation’s chair. She was replaced by Ibrahim Shiuree on June 13.