More than 1,000 businesses are expected to participate in this year’s Maldives Expo, as the Government steps up efforts to expand tourism opportunities across the country and create greater access to markets for local businesses.
Business Centre Corporation (BCC) Managing Director Ibrahim Ziyau said the expo has grown significantly since it was first introduced around eight decades ago to promote businesses in the Maldives.
The event has recorded substantial growth this year, with 780 businesses already registered for the competitive section, compared with 308 participants last year. More than 6,000 products have also been registered for the 2026 expo, up from around 3,600 products submitted last year.
Ziyau said one of the major changes this year is the way products will be presented. Rather than displaying products solely under the names of participating businesses, individual products will be showcased separately, allowing greater attention to be given to the products and the businesses behind them.
The nine-day expo, scheduled to run from October 25 to November 2, will feature seven districts, including two new areas dedicated to tourism and international participation.
The newly introduced Visitor Economy District will provide a platform for islands offering local tourism services to promote their destinations, products and services. The International Exhibitors District, meanwhile, is intended to create opportunities for new business ideas and help connect Maldivian businesses with overseas markets.
The expo’s focus on local businesses comes as the Government works to broaden the benefits of tourism beyond the traditional tourism hubs.
State Minister at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation Abdulla Niyaz said the Government is working closely with local councils to develop tourism projects based on the needs and plans of individual communities.
He said councils are being provided with technical assistance, including support with project planning, tender documentation and other technical requirements, to help introduce tourism products in areas identified through consultations.
“We work with councils to plan projects according to their requirements and hold consultations with them, including through memorandums of understanding. We provide the technical assistance they require and work closely with them to help introduce the products they want in areas we identify together, including by assisting with bid documentation and providing the necessary technical advice,” Niyaz said.
According to the State Minister, developing tourism on inhabited islands could contribute significantly to local economic and infrastructure development while increasing the country’s tourism bed capacity and creating new tourism products.
He said tourism activity remains concentrated largely in the central region due to transport connectivity and other factors, and that the Government is seeking to address this imbalance by prioritising tourism development in the northern and southern regions.
The Government is also allocating islands and lagoons in different parts of the country for tourism-related development, while supporting the expansion of local tourism on inhabited islands.
Niyaz said the development of tourism and transport infrastructure is closely connected, noting that an airport generally becomes viable when a region has between 6,000 and 8,000 tourism beds. Major tourism projects have therefore been planned alongside airport development in relevant areas.
The Government’s objective, he said, is to ensure that tourism growth reaches every region and that the economic opportunities created by the industry are distributed more widely among Maldivians.
Against this backdrop, the Maldives Expo is expected to provide local businesses with an additional platform to showcase their products, develop new partnerships and explore opportunities in both domestic and international markets.
With more than 1,000 businesses expected to participate, the expo is set to highlight the growing role of Maldivian SMEs in supporting economic activity and the development of new tourism products across the country.
