Feature: Maldives

05 Feb 2020

TOs call for direct flights

AS DEMAND for

the Maldives

grows in

the South African

market, operators

are still hopeful that

direct flights will be

introduced in the

long-term.

Maldivian, the

national carrier

of the Maldives,

has made noises

in the past about

the possibility of

a scheduled flight

between Malé

and South Africa.

“A regular direct

flight is a longterm development

that is definitely

a possibility if

the demand for

travel to the

Maldives continues as it is,” says

Thompsons Holidays marketing

manager, Celeste Muir.

“The destination is starting to

appeal to a wider budget range,”

says Alexis Bekker, head of sales

and marketing South Africa and

Africa for The Lux Collective, which

operates two properties in the

north.

She agrees that the advent of

a direct flight was something to

expect in the long-term. “While

demand is there, the Maldives

remains a more expensive

destination as opposed to

Mauritius, Zanzibar and even

Thailand. It’s a chicken-and-egg

situation where it would need

more demand and

increased market

share to stimulate

flights, but we

need the flights

to stimulate the

demand.”

Flights on UAE

carriers are a

popular way to reach

the Maldives – via

Dubai on Emirates

or Doha on Qatar.

Connection times

are convenient and

fares are good,

operators say.

“We have found

that most clients

prefer to fly via

Dubai, with an

option to spend

one or two nights

there. This is

an opportunity

for customers to experience

two destinations,” says Marlin

Magadani, marketing assistant of

World Leisure Holidays. Singapore

Airlines and Etihad are also good

options for reaching the Maldives,

says Celeste.

Industry stakeholders agree that

the Gan air charters operated by

ATO and SAA have widened the

local market by making resorts

in the south more accessible,

many of them in affordable price

brackets. However, holiday options

to the south are limited.

“The direct flight to Gan certainly

did aid in creating demand for the

islands, albeit only to a certain

region. We cannot transfer from

Gan direct to either

of our resorts, so

we have to book an

internal flight and

transfer from Malé

either via speedboat

or seaplane,” says

Alexis.

At her last check,

the Gan-Malé flight

of 80 minutes or so

came in at around

US$1 000pp

(R14 470), a

hefty add-on to a

package.

Even though SAA is

in business rescue

and is yet to release

its restructure

plan, ATO md, Keith Gow, says

the charter operation to Gan will

continue in 2020, with 26 flights

scheduled to take place over the

course of the year.

The programme of 12 flights to

Gan in the southern Maldives ran

at a 95% load factor in 2019,

says Keith.

Using A320-200s with 226 seats

and A340-300s

with 251 seats,

ATO sold packages

from R9 990 to

R150 000, with

business class sold

out on all flights

thanks to attractive

pricing, says Keith.

Maldivian resorts

at the top end

did particularly

well, attracting

affluent South

Africans across

all communities,

an encouraging

indicator of a

healthy market,

he says.

Gan International on the island

of Gan in the Addu Atoll recently

upgraded from a domestic to an

international hub, as traffic to

Velana International Airport in Malé

increases. Gan is 20 minutes by

air and two hours by high-powered

boat from the largest atoll Gaafu

(comprising Gaafu Dhaalu in the

west and Gaafu Alifu in the east).

Selling tips from the experts

A MALDIVES experience is far

from boring and agents can

create truly memorable stays

for their customers. A perfect

stay could include a romantic

beach picnic, an excursion to

snorkel with whale sharks,

an underwater nightclub

experience or perhaps even a

stopover in Abu Dhabi, Dubai

or Singapore.

This is the opinion of the

founder of Priority Travel by

Arrangement, Francois Swart,

who has inspected over 40

hotels in the Maldives. Priority

Travel offers packages on its

website that can be booked

by other travel consultants at

commissionable rates.

Understand your client

When sharing some tips on

selling the destination, he says

it is important to match the

customer to the right resort.

“Resorts in the Maldives

are very different. A boutique

resort with 50 villas has a

different atmosphere and

offering to resorts that offer

pool parties and evening

discos.”

There are also some resorts

that cater for families and

these would include kids’

clubs and water villas with

child-safe railings, he says.

“Understanding your client is

key to getting the best out of

their resort experience.”

Consultants also need

to understand the value

proposition. “The Maldives

offers fantastic value,

especially in low season, which

runs from May to December

20. This is a popular time for

South African travellers and

the destination is aggressively

priced at this time.”

Consider the room categories

and compare these to other

destinations, he suggests.

“It’s very rare that other

destinations would offer

beachfront accommodation

with the sand at your doorstep

for the same pricing. Some

resorts also offer free stays for

kids under 15, which makes

the product super affordable.”

The low season doesn’t

necessarily mean bad weather,

he adds. “The Maldives is

hot year-round, and although

there are some wet months,

rain is no reason to avoid

this incredible destination.

In fact, the ‘low season’ has

many highlights, such as

whale shark and manta ray

sightings.”

Getting around

It is also important that

your clients understand the

logistics and that getting

around in the Maldives can

be a challenge. “All transfers

are by shared seaplanes

or speedboat and it’s

important that your customer

understands there may be

delays while you wait for other

passengers. Seaplanes also

have strict luggage restrictions

where total baggage, including

hand luggage, is 23kg.”

On the groups and incentives

side, Tarryn Harris, md

of Winning Solutions, has

operated several incentive

groups to a number of resorts.

She rates the LUX* resorts

highly for food, service,

scenery and general vibe.

She offers a few pointers

for consultants. “Seaplanes

only operate during daylight,

so your clients returning to

SA will be landing in Malé at

17h30 at the latest. The best

connection thereafter is on QR,

however if you use EK don’t

book the 23h00 flight ex-Malé,

as your clients will be hanging

around outside the airport.

Security only lets you into the

check-in area three hours prior

to the flight’s departure.”

Tarryn also references the

strict luggage restriction for

seaplanes – and they charge

per additional kg.

“If you have too many bags,

the luggage may have to wait

for the next flight as space is

limited.”

She says alcohol cannot

be brought into Malé as it’s

a strictly Muslim destination.

“There are no bars inside the

airport or airport lounges.

Alcohol is available in the

resorts, except those on the

mainland.”

Tarryn advises consultants

to be mindful of the number

of restaurants at resorts, as

it can be dull eating all three

meals at the same venue.

“Advise your clients to pack

something light for arrival, as it

is always hot and humid in the

Maldives.”

In brief

Did you know?

Perfect Destinations sells

a wide range of properties

in the Maldives, with some

recent additions. “We’ve

been selling the newly built

five-star Cinnamon Velifushi

Resort (Vaavu Atoll) as well

as the newly refurbished

four-star superior Cinnamon

Hakuraa Huraa Resort

(Meemu Atoll), both of which

have proved very popular

with South African travellers,”

says head of marketing,

Janine Pienaar. Turkish Airlines offers the

following flight options to

the Maldives with a free

stopover in Istanbul. The

Free Stopover comprises

hotel accommodation and

TourIstanbul, a guided tour

of the city. CPT-IST: 18h00-

06h00 next day (11 hours’

flying time); IST-MLE: 02h10

(following day)-12h15 (eight

hours’ flying time). MLE-IST:

23h35-06h20 next day

(eight hours 45 minutes

flying time); IST-CPT: 02h25

(following day)- 12h40

(11 hours 15 minutes

flying time

Book it!

A current special at LUX* North Malé Atoll is valid for stays

until October 31. Bookings must be made before March 31.

There are some excluded periods: January 22 to February

10 and April 8-23. The special applies to all room types,

except the LUX* Beach Retreat and LUX* Overwater Retreat.

It includes a 20% discount on room rates, complimentary

speedboat transfers for bookings of a minimum of seven

nights, and a complimentary meal plan upgrade from B&B to

half board. Guests booked into Beach and Overwater Retreats

can upgrade their free meal plan from B&B to all-inclusive

and take advantage of free speedboat transfers for stays of

three nights and more. Both offers are combinable with a

honeymoon special and are applicable to new bookings only.

Photo: LUX* Resorts and Hotels.

Products extend across budgets

TRADITIONALLY

associated with

luxury resorts,

some of the

world’s topend hospitality

brands are

found in the

Maldives. While

remaining

weighted in

the upper-star

categories, the

destination

is growing in

affordability.

The Maldives

archipelago is composed

of 26 coral atolls, each

containing thousands of

small islands. “With each

island offering a unique

experience, it is important

to understand a client’s

expectations and desires,

and for the travel expert to

know the islands in order

to recommend the right

resort for the right client,”

says Janine Pienaar, head

of marketing of Perfect

Destinations, which

promotes the majority of

the destination.

“Over the

last few years

there has been

an increase

in more

affordable

options, from

three-star to

entry-level

four-star

hotels,” points

out Janine.

World Leisure

Holidays’

Marlin

Magadani

agrees: “There

is a misconception that

Maldives is an expensive

destination and this is

partly due to cost of

flights and transfers to

get to a hotel.”

Although Maldives is

firmly anchored in the

five-star bracket, The Lux

Collective’s Alexis Bekker

believes the introduction of

a scheduled flight to Malé

would stimulate demand

for all budget categories

and drive down the current

high cost of airfares on

packages. She notes an

encouraging demand for

MICE trips. “These have

been high-end incentive

trips with some blue-chip

corporate companies. We

expect this demand to

increase this year.”

Travel consultants can

expect a good measure of

destination support this

year.

Thompsons Holidays

promises educationals,

agent training and

marketing activities via

mails and social media.

“Our sales team is out

there constantly promoting

the Maldives,” says

spokesperson, Celeste

Muir.

“We plan on marketing

our Maldives resorts via

workshops, hosted and

ad hoc educationals, and

dedicated training to retail

agents and Indian Ocean

island specialists and tour

operators,” says Michele

Abraham, responsible

for sales and marketing

at African Synergy

representing Constance

Hotels & Resorts.

“We are hoping to secure

some educationals this

year,” says Alexis. “A visit

to the resorts is simply

the best selling tool we

could provide. Our on-theroad sales teams will

continue to do weekly

training in-store and our

new online workshops will

be launched in coming

weeks.”

Expect training and

educational trips from

Perfect Destinations too,

and Maldives promotions

on all WLH channels.

Recommendend these activities

THE Maldives may not offer

a long list of excursions but

there are many experiences

that will increase your clients’

enjoyment of the islands.

Snorkelling and diving are,

of course, what the Maldives

is famed for. Thompsons

Holidays advises that there

are over 1 000 species

of fish to view, from boldly

coloured tropical varieties to

sharks and manta rays. At

Constance Moofushi, there

are 32 dive sites within 30

minutes of the resort, where

guests may be able to spot

a manta ray, according to

Michele Abraham of African

Synergy.

A whale shark encounter

is a highlight. At LUX* South

Ari Atoll Resort & Villas, for

example, guests board a

traditional dhoni (sailboat)

along with a resident marine

biologist and excursion

host who guide them on an

up-close-and-personal swim

with the biggest fish on earth.

But, cautions Tarryn Harris

of Winning Solutions, although

the popular experience is

a must, it can be crowded

and sightings are not always

guaranteed.

For some other ideas to

enrich a Maldives holiday,

Constance Hotels & Resorts

hosts special culinary events

at its five-star resorts,

Constance Moofushi and

Constance Halaveli. There’s

also an open-air cinema

at Constance Moofushi –

Cinefushi. Talks on marine

biology are presented at the

resort. At Constance Halaveli,

guests can participate in a

yoga session at sunrise.

Thompsons Holidays

suggests visiting a village to

experience local culture and

traditions; a romantic picnic

on a sandbank or a sunset

cruise; a pampered spa

session; some island hopping

or a flight in a seaplane to get

an overview; surfing or standup paddle boarding and deepsea fishing.

From May to September,

LUX* North Malé Atoll Resort

& Villas is a haven for kite

surfers.

For wave surfing, the island

has its own surf break – ideal

for beginners – a mere fiveminute jet-ski ride away from

the resort. For the more

experienced, the resort is

within a 40-minute speedboat

ride of the country’s best surf

spots.

On World Leisure Holidays’

list of activities are tunafishing trips as well as dolphin

and sea-turtle watching.

Did you know!

Thompsons Holidays advises that Adaaran Resorts has

upgraded its all-Inclusive offering to Premium All-Inclusive.

The plan now includes access to a variety of restaurants

and activities. Also new on the tour operator’s portfolio is

the five-star Heritance Aarah and four-star Hotel Riu Atoll,

offering 24/7 all-inclusive.

Helping the environment

Constance Moofushi on South Ari Atoll (pictured)

has been involved in a coral-restoration project to

revive reefs that have been bleached by elevated

ocean temperatures. Coral is propagated over frames

constructed on the islands and then transplanted on

the reef. The resort’s 100th coral frame was recently

added to the house reef. Guests and the resort

sponsor the project.