The Republic of Maldives has unveiled a new tourism brand, which emphasises the natural beauty of the country.
The new logo and tagline “Always Natural” were unveiled in Male, the island nation’s capital, after they were approved by President Mohamed Nasheed.
After more than a year of consultation and design, involving both industry and government, the new brand was presented to President Nasheed and his cabinet by the Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC) and QUO Keen – a specialist brand consultancy for the travel industry.
“The slogan and logo are designed to underscore the outstanding natural beauty of the Maldives, which tourists from all segments of the market consistently rate as one of their main reasons for visiting the country”, said MMPRC Chairperson Thoyyib Mohamed.
The thumbprint-style logo, along with the tagline, was formed after extensive research projects to recreate the Maldives’ image as just a honeymoon resort for western couples.
The MMPRC hope it will become more than just a tourism brand, but a transferable image of all areas of Maldivian life and livelihood, from sustainable energy, to fishing and other local industries.
“While the mark and tagline speak clearly of the natural beauty of the Islands and will appeal to tourists around the world, the new identity has also been created for investors interested in the drive towards sustainability, and those drawn to conduct business with a country of unique natural characteristics. The new brand offers unique cross-marketing possibilities,” said David Keen, CEO of QUO Keen.
The MMPRC is hoping the new brand will appeal to the growing inbound markets of China, Japan and India, as well as the traditional markets.
Simon Hawkins, Managing Director of the MMPRC, said: “We are delighted with the end result and we look forward to proudly communicating the new brand to the world.”
Flights to the Maldives capital of Male from all major UK airports with British Airways, Emirates, Thomson Flights or Sri Lankan Airlines.
(Image: nicadlr)
