April 2018

Once again, Crown & Champa Resorts (CCR) will be exhibiting at the 2^nd annual Travel Trade Maldives (TTM) as a premium exhibitor, from May 1 – 3, 2018. The event will be held at Dharubaaruge, Male’, Maldives and Crown & Champa Resorts will be exhibiting at booth A05.

 

The event marked a milestone in the Tourism industry as the first International Travel Trade Show in the Maldives, hosted by Maldives Getaway with over 100 Resorts and 150 industry professionals attending. Here is what you need to know about the Maldives’ growing tourism event:

 

Success of TTM 2017

The 1^st edition of TTM concluded successfully on July 13th, 2017, with business contracts worth over US$1 billion discussed during the two-day travel trade show. More than 100 hoteliers held over 4,000 meetings with 150 agents and tour operators from across the globe.

 

TTM 2018 Partnerships

Crown & Champa Resorts have signed as premium exhibitors at Travel Trade Maldives for the 2^nd year in a row with Champa Central Hotel, in the heart of Male’ City, signing as Hotel Partner for the event as well.

 

TTM 2018 Events

Exhibitors and visitors can look forward to a variety of exciting vents during the 2-day trade show, including the Maldives Supplier Expo 2018, an invitation-only event with over 1000 key decision makers and purchasing chiefs and the prestigious TTM Gala Night to celebrate and conclude the event.

 

The TTM Hotelier Summit Maldives, held April 30, 2018 at Bandos Maldives, offers a solution-oriented platform that facilitates face-to-face meetings, networking activities, and information exchange amongst the most elite assemblage of hotel owners and general managers. Event speakers include Ministry of Tourism, as well as international delegates from Booking.com and Expedia.

 

Visit the Crown & Champa Resorts booth A05 or stay-up-to-date with the event on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Earth Day is one of the largest civic-focused days of action in the world held every year, where more than 1 billion people in 192 countries take part in green initiatives to highlight the importance of sustainability.

 

On April 22, 2018, each of the Crown & Champa Resorts showed their support of the initiative with a variety of activities involving guests and staff, from Reef & Lagoon Cleaning to educational tours and the daily commitment towards a greener Maldives.

 

 

Under the theme “End Plastic Pollution” and the impact of plastic on the Indian Ocean, Veligandu Island Resort & Spa and Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa held a lagoon cleaning activity to maintain the beauty and health of the marine life. The activity included members of the Euro-Divers and Ocean Dive Center teams, as well as staff and in-house guests at the respective Resorts.

 

Kuredu Island Resort & Spa held an active Island cleanup, while Meeru Island Resort & Spa hosted an informative Nature Walk and Back-of-House Tour. As TUI-certified Environmental Champions of 2017, the two Resorts continue to be leaders in sustainable efforts, with Kuredu recently introducing an eco-friendly linen bag to help guests recycle items back home that currently cannot be recycled in the Maldives.

 

 

Another Environmental Champion, Komandoo Island Resort & Spa features glass water bottles and reusable straws, as part of the day-to-day sustainable operations. 5-Star Hurawalhi Island Resort brings environmental awareness through education in several initiatives over the year, including community outreach programs.

 

For more information on Crown & Champa Resorts’ committed towards preserving the Maldives and global environment, read our Sustainability Report.

 

To find out how you can help while on holiday in the Maldives, download your free copy of the 5 quick tips to saving water & energy.

Leading Resorts group, Crown & Champa Resorts will be attending the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, from April 22 to 25, 2018. The global event, held at Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre is celebrating its 25^th year – a notable milestone.

 

ATM first opened its doors in 1994 at the Dubai World Trade Centre with 52 nations, 300 exhibitors and 7,000 trade visitors. 25 years later, the exhibition is considered the benchmark for the Middle Eastern and North African tourism, which facilitates US$2,5 billion in industry deals, and attracts 2,500 exhibitors from 153 countries and over 28,000 influential visitors.

 

The theme this year is Responsible Tourism and certainly a topic of major importance to the Travel & Hospitality Industry, and to destinations around the world. In line with the values and ethos of the company, Crown & Champa Resorts is committed to operating in accordance with the best possible standards, in a responsible and sustainable manner.

 

Read the Crown & Champa Resorts Corporate Sustainability Report here »

 

“It is important that hoteliers, operators, local communities and tourists alike, take responsibility to ensure tourism becomes more sustainable.” – Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market.

 

Visit the Crown & Champa Resorts stand number AS2350, together with the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).

The Maldives, a tropical paradise of pristine beaches, is one of the most favored tourist destinations in the world with over 1,192 coral Islands grouped into 26 coral atolls in the Indian Ocean.

Here are 6 interesting facts that you should know about the colorful Maldivian Culture & Heritage for World Heritage Day, 18 April:

History of the Maldives

According to archaeological evidence, the Maldives Islands have been inhabited for more than 3,000 years, with a history of Hinduism and Buddhism before the country embraced Islam in 1153 AD. The first settlers are believed to be Tamil and Sinhalese peoples from southern India and Sri Lanka, as well as Traders from Arab and African Countries.

 

Tourism only began in 1972, after the opening of the first tourist Resort in the Maldives. Thanks to the Travel & Tourism pioneers, the Industry only continued to grow with Kuredu Island Resort & Spa being the first Resort built in the Lhaviyani Atoll in 1988, which paved the way for other Resorts such as Komandoo Island Resort & Spa,  Hurawalhi Island Resort and Innahura Maldives Resort within the same Atoll.

 

 

Maldivian Language (Dhivehi)

With influences from Sanskrit, Sinhalese and Arabic, Dhivehi has its own script called Thaana that displays both an Abugida and a true alphabet principle. There are three major dialects spoken by local Maldivians, including Malikhu or Mahl spoken by the islanders of neighboring Minicoy Island.

 

Common Dhivehi phrases:

• Hello: “assalaamu alaikum” (formal) | “maruhabaa” (informal)
• How are you?: “haalu kihineh?” (formal) | “kihineh?” (informal)
• Fine, thank you: “ran’galhu, shukuriyyaa”
• Thank you: “shukuriyyaa”
• You’re welcome: “maruhabaa”

 

Maldivian Food

The natural abundance of coconut palms, Tuna and Reef Fish, and the unique mixture of curries and spices from initial settlers influence main Maldivian Traditional dishes enjoyed to this day. Combinations of these main ingredients are still found in various dishes, such as Tuna Bajiya (Fish-based), Garudhiya (fish soup) and Huni Roshi (Coconut-based Flatbread).

Coconut Juice or Kurumba is the most popular refreshing beverage of the Maldives, which is also served to tourists and guests at Resorts such as Veligandu Island Resort & Spa in traditional Maldivian style.

Maldivian Clothing and Craft

Men traditionally wear sarongs wrapped around the waist with a long sleeved shirt, which is invariably white. Cotton is the preferred fabric due to the island’s tropical weather. Women traditionally wear what is called libaas, which resembles a dress typically worn during special occasions, festivals and during dance performances such as Weddings or Cultural Bodu Beru performances. They are usually adorned with gold or silver colored threads, and the best ones are hand stitched.

 

Museums, such as Meeru Museum exhibit several Maldivian artifacts, from traditional wooden boxes used as travel storage (lakudi foshi), to wooden Maldivian sandals worn until the early 1980s (ujjehi maravalhhi).

 

Maldivian Heritage Sites

Because of the various influences, several religious monuments and temple ruins can be found throughout the local Islands, across the atolls. As small as copper plates and scrolls with details of historical livelihoods, to as large and noticeable as the mosques, temples and coral walls. The capital, Male’ City, features tourist attractions and heritage sites such as the Old Friday Mosque, conveniently located a short walk away from Champa Central Hotel.

 

Other sites include the shipwrecks and sunken boats along the popular trade routes, which are now home to colorful coral gardens and a thousand colorful fish. This makes for excellent diving, common in the South Ari Atoll, near Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa.

 

 

Music & Dance, the Maldivian Way

Music and Dance is an important part of the Maldivian heritage and culture, revered as a form of storytelling, celebrating occasions and pure entertainment. Bodu Beru, referring to both the traditional drum used and the cultural dance itself, involves a display of various performances, each unique to the occasion, such as the women’s Bandiya Dance, where they dance with traditional water collecting containers in rhythmic harmony and dance.

 

The Eid Celebration includes traditional parades on the streets of the islands, with giant mythical fish woven out of coconut palm leaves, called Bodumas and Maali.

 

 

Crown & Champa Resorts offers an authentic experience of the Maldives, with the Islands in their natural and unspoiled beauty, the culture and heritage proudly displayed and practiced by staff, as well as opportunities to learn more about the Maldivian way of life.

 

Visit any of our properties for a warm Bodu Beru welcome; Maldivian architecture-inspired accommodation; a taste of Maldivian Cuisine; and even traditional craft and clothing souvenirs to take home with you after your holiday.

 

View the Crown & Champa Resorts collection.