Visit Maldives together with the Maldives Ministry of Tourism launches the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign, aiming to share a positive message regarding the vaccination of staff working in the tourism sector, as well as promote the initiatives undertaken to ensure the Maldives remains one of the safest destinations for travellers.

The goal of this campaign is to ensure the Maldives is the first fully vaccinated tourism sector in the world. Along with the unique geographical formation of the islands which offer natural physical distancing, as well as the stringent health and safety measures in place, a fully vaccinated tourism sector will be an added advantage in encouraging tourists to visit the destination.

The campaign was launched during a press event organised by Visit Maldives and the Maldives Ministry of Tourism on 28 April 2021. Joining the event were the Maldives Minister of Tourism, the Minister of State of the Ministry of Health, the Secretary General of Guesthouse Association of Maldives and the Vice Chairman of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry.

The event commenced with opening remarks by the Maldives Minister of Tourism, Honorable Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, who remarked on the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry. He emphasised the immense sacrifice, effort and hard work of the health industry, tourism industry, and all members of the Maldivian society. The Minister explained that being able to provide vaccinations to members of the tourism industry was a huge accomplishment and officially initiated the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign. This was followed by a short video showcasing the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ logo.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Shah Abdulla Mahir, stated over 65% of the eligible Maldivian population has received the vaccination and over 90% of the eligible tourism industry is already vaccinated. He was optimistic that the campaign would further promote the Maldives’ vaccination drive and motivate tourism facilities to vaccinate their staff.

Afterwards, MMPRC presented the delegation with a special ‘I’m Vaccinated’ badge. The badge will be presented to members of the tourism industry who have received the prescribed dose(s) of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Following the launch of the program, the Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed, stated the purpose of the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign is to promote vaccination for all members of the tourism industry and for the Maldives to have the first fully vaccinated tourism industry in the world. The Managing Director of MMPRC also unveiled a microsite that will be launched under the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign, as well as the social media activities that will be initiated alongside.

The microsite will display a counter showing the number of tourism industry staff who have been vaccinated and will provide employees with information about how to register for their vaccination, as well as the latest HPA guidelines. Associated social media activity will showcase images and videos of tourism professionals with a pinned vaccination badge, presented to them by Visit Maldives once they receive the prescribed dose(s) of the COVID-19 vaccination. This activity will help further promote the Maldives as a ‘safe haven’ for travel.

Speaking at the conference, the Secretary General of Guesthouse Association of Maldives, Saudhulla Ahmed Hassan Didi, noted the impact of COVID-19 on the Maldives’ guesthouse industry and island communities, whilst the Vice Chairman of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry, Mr. Salah Shihab, recognised the sacrifice undertaken by members of the tourism industry explaining that the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign gives hope to workers across the industry.

The campaign aims to reassure travellers that the Maldives continues to be one of the safest destinations to travel to in the current climate and will highlight to visitors the immense effort and investment the destination has taken in ensuring the safety of both the local population and travellers.

The Maldives’ vaccination programme began on 1st February 20210 and the government aims to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations to all residents of the Maldives in the upcoming months.

 For further information on the Maldives, visit www.visitmaldives.com.

Notes to Editors:
Image Captions:
Image 1: Visit Maldives and the Maldives Ministry of Tourism Launches ‘I’m Vaccinated’ Campaign.
Image 2: Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed at the launch of the ‘I’m Vaccinated’ campaign.
Image 3: MMPRC presented the delegation with a special ‘I’m Vaccinated’ badge.

High-resolution images are available here.

Sarah Salord or Eliza Barrett-Holman | GEC PR | [email protected]