Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) has announced plans to host a leading global training programme on China outbound travel market in the Maldives.
In a statement, MATATO said the training programme, run worldwide by world’s leading research institute on China market China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), would be held in the Maldives on September 11.
Registration for the one-day training programme is open for resorts, hotels, liveaboards and guesthouses. Interested parties are required to fill a registration form.
Participation costs USD 250, but MATATO members, groups of more than five and early applicants are eligible for a 10 percent discount. As a limited number of 40 seats is available, registration will be confirmed on first-come-first served basis.
Targeted towards sales teams and marketing executives in the travel industry, this training programme offers deep insights into the characteristics, expectations, motivations and needs of Chinese travellers, enabling tourism service providers to customise their marketing strategy and services to attract the right Chinese traveller.
The programme, which is recommended by the European Travel Commission (ETC) and endorsed by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), will be facilitated by COTRI Founder and Director Professor Wolfgang Georg Arlt, who is a member of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Panel of Tourism Experts and a visiting professor at universities in China, United Kingdom and New Zealand.
According to MATATO, successful participants will acquire certification as Chinese Tourist Welcome Quality Hosts for two years.
Maldives ranks amongst the most favoured holiday destinations for Chinese travellers, but the Chinese market has posted major declines over the past year. Arrivals from China, which still remains the single biggest source market, has dropped 10.3 percent in the first half of this year to reach 141,495 from 157,764 in the same period of last year.
MATATO, in partnership with renowned global organisations and institutes, hosts several training programmes for the Maldives travel and tourism industry. Amongst them are the recently concluded PATA Academy programme, and a customer service and social media marketing programme.
Photo: Mihaaru