The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) has been granted Affiliate Membership of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
The announcement was made on September 11, during the 23rd UNWTO General Assembly held in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
MATI is the first ever organisation to become a UNWTO affiliate member from the Maldives.
“As an affiliate member of UNWTO, MATI will intensify efforts to promote the sustainable development of the Maldivian tourism industry and also assist UNWTO in achieving its goals and objectives,” a statement issued by MATI read.
As a non-profit established since the introduction of tourism in Maldives, MATI has been at the forefront of almost all travel and tourism related activities and issues in the Maldives for the past three decades. The association coordinates with government and liaise with organisations locally and internationally to solidify member services and operations in the tourism sector.
UNWTO is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
The affiliate members of UNWTO are tourism related organisations that work closely with UNWTO to promote the development of the global tourism industry in a sustainable and responsible manner. There are over 500 UNWTO affiliate members in over 80 countries.