The Maldives has revised its tourism plan to focus more on the middle market with the aim to increase international visitors from 655,000 last year to one million this year.
"We come here to Thailand to tell you that we are not a too expensive destination as generally perceived, but also have services at lower rates," Thoyyib Mohamed, minister of state for tourism, art and culture, said yesterday.
His government is transforming the country from a destination offering only ultra-luxury facilities to one with a range of moderately-priced accommodations in order to lure more middle-class holiday-makers from around the world.
Now 84 hotels and resorts are under construction on the islands. Many of the new developments will be positioned at the three- or four-star level, in contrast to the 88 expensive hotels and resorts already operating.
The government has lowered land rental rates to attract more investment especially at the middle and lower level.
The tourism office is targeting new emerging markets such as China, India and the Middle East.
The Maldives is also seeking more investors from Thailand, beside the three already settled there - Centara Hotels and Resort, Minor's Anatara and Bangkok Airways.
Mohamed Salih, honorary consul for Thailand in the Maldives, said Thailand is one of the potential markets to help attain the growth target for visitor arrivals.
The average stay by tourists from the established markets is five to 10 days. Those from the emerging markets make shorter visits at three days, but they travel more often.
The Tourism Ministry brings groups of travel operators and the media on familiarisation trips to visit key tourism and service operators including BNH Hospital to help promote Thailand as a healthcare and medical treatment centre to their people.
Somsiri Sakolsatayadorn, acting director of BNH Hospital, said the hospital offered a one-stop service including comprehensive health check-ups and treatment, tour guides, accommodations and sightseeing tours, over a period of four days.
Sansern Ngaorungsi, the Tourism Authority of Thailand's deputy governor for international marketing for Asia and the South Pacific, said Thailand had a track record on the medical frontier particularly in areas like cardiac surgery and post-operative care, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, dentistry, the treatment of bone-related ailments and cataracts.
In 2002, Thailand attracted 630,000 foreign visitors seeking medical treatment. Last year saw 1.2 million foreign medical tourists, thanks to higher service quality, lower prices and better access into the country.
