‘We anticipate 2022 to generate a better and more diverse market mix’

Looking to escape the frenetic pace and chaos of everyday life in to luxury’s very own lap, then your first choice should be Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives. Spread across the Emboodhu Finolhu Island in the middle of one of the largest lagoons in Maldives, away from the sparkling lights of Male, the five-star hotel is a 15-minute speedboat ride from the airport which brings you to the idyllic beach resort in Male, surrounded by the azure waters of the Indian Ocean.

Set delicately over the lagoon, this postcard-perfect getaway offers 64 sea-view suites and villas that are luxurious and lavish yet maintain a fine balance with Nature.

Lobby

Lately, India has emerged as one of the top source markets for the Maldives with visitors from the country surpassing the ones from the GCC countries, Russia and CIS nations. “India remains the key source market to the destination and to our resort. Our brand strength complimented by the excellent connectivity between two countries with easier travel guidelines has emerged as a winning mix. Maldives had the advantage of opening its borders before other destinations by providing safer and more secure holidays by utilising the advantage of its geographical location and ‘one island one resort’ concept,” shares Samrat Datta, General Manager, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives.

Premium Villa with Pool 

He adds that their extensive sales network across India with strong relationships with the key wholesalers, tour operators, travel agencies and luxury travel specialists, adds huge value to their unrivalled market presence in the subcontinent.

Master Bedroom, Presidential Suite with Pool

As Russia and CIS markets are equally important and steady markets for the Maldives, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa has deployed a dedicated sales and PR office in the region to develop the market and work closely with key Russian tour operators; partners and airlines. “We are receiving encouraging responses from travel partners who visit us to experience the resort. Similarly, we collaborate closely with key tour operators and airlines such as Emirates, Qatar, Etihad and Saudi Air on exclusive partnerships,” says Datta.

Deep End Restaurant

TAJ EXOTICA IN A NUTSHELL 

To encapsulate the uniqueness of the resort, Datta broadly puts it under three umbrellas – Convenience, Conservation and Tradition. “The USPs that fall into these buckets include easy accessibility by a 15-minute round-the-clock speedboat ride from Velana International Airport; a 200-acre spectacularly safe playground as the resort, located in one of the world’s largest natural lagoons; award-winning conservation programme, Platinum-certified by EarthCheck as the resort runs several reef conservation projects including its coral regeneration initiative; experiencing pristine natural beauty, from crystal-clear waters to dense vegetation and abundance of marine life with Ocean PADI certified dive centre,” he informs.

Equator Bar

HOTEL’S F&B HIGHLIGHTS

Dining is a global experience at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives, with its Deep End Restaurant serving Mediterranean specialities, 24 Degrees Restaurant offering Pan-Asian and international cuisine, the Equator bar located atop the sunset patio featuring an extensive list of delicacies, and the Poolside Bar and Restaurant next to the resort’s infinity pool. “Guests can enjoy sumptuous in-room and private dining experiences or at unique spaces on or off the island. Showcasing a wide array of world cuisine, we are able to excite the palate of all travellers from across the globe. Our expertise with Indian cuisine with myriad of vegetarian options is known as one of the best in the country. We also have a robust Butler Service programme and our butlers are always eager to assist guests to customise and personalise gourmet experiences,” he says.

Wine Cellar

NAVIGATING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC 

The Maldives was a textbook success story in how the destination faced, navigated and leveraged through the period of the pandemic. Its geographical location and “one island one resort” concept were a significant contributor to Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives’ ability to offer luxurious holidays while ensuring guest safety. “The government was proactive and holistic in its approach, leading to the destination reopening its borders for tourists from all nations with minimal restrictions but with maximum emphasis on health and safety protocols,” avers Datta.

Couple Room, Jiva Spa

The resort reopened after the pandemic with a signature Tajness re-strengthened programme which prioritised safety alongside showcasing a joyful environment. “We are proud to be one of the country’s highest vaccinated hotel with 98 per cent fully vaccinated staff. Following all safety and physical distancing protocols, we built an in-house 24x7 medical care unit capable of conducting Covid tests. We infused technology across processes such as check-in, check-out, non-invasive thermal screening, dining and payments to ensure contactless yet personalised experiences. Finally, a very flexible cancellation policy has made it easy for our guests to take travel decisions,” he informs.

Ocean Pavilion

REVIVAL OF MICE 

The Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC) recently launched a “Redefining MICE” global campaign to promote the country as a preferred MICE destination, says Datta. “The objective was to transform serious work events that mostly take place in boardrooms and conference halls to a more leisure approach with open spaces – therein achieving proper social distance and adhering to the new normal. The country is being promoted as an ideal destination to merge business with leisure. With this destination’s laidback atmosphere, it will be enticing to hold thought-provoking and brain stimulating discussions,” he feels.

Private Beach Dug-out Dinner

TEAMWORK AND PERFORMANCE

Employees, says Datta, are the property’s biggest strength. “I consider keeping them motivated as one of my key responsibilities. As a company, Taj has a robust associate recognition programme, STARS, wherein tangible goals are set at the beginning of the year and reviews done through Q Chats, skip level meetings and town halls. “We all reside on the same island so we maintain an inclusive, proactive, participative and transparent leadership style. Throughout the pandemic, I kept communicating regularly with the team and shared common concerns. The team, in turn, reciprocated with great ideas and strengthened our forces to fight against all odds,” shares Datta, adding they believe in active Associate Engagement and have a robust engagement calendar which promotes sports, brain games, team building exercises and creative challenges. “We provide an agile living space for the associates featuring a full-fledged gym, a football ground, badminton court, volley ball ground and an expansive staff beach,” he puts in.

Water Ski

TOP CHALLENGES FOR EXPATS RUNNING BUSINESS 

The logistics of travel are relatively expensive and cumbersome in terms of travel between islands and procurement of goods. Almost everything is imported, hence, the cost of operations is higher than most countries. Resorts are dependent on generators producing electricity which is also a major cost factor. “There is a lot of work being done to develop local resources for every job profile. However, there is still a dearth of expertise in some areas. So operators have to depend on the supply of international resources. Travel logistics restrain the possibility of maintaining a social circle outside our workplace. In order to stay well networked and in touch with loved ones overseas, we depend a lot on virtual video calls, engagement platforms and social media. Our wi-fi signals work extremely well therefore e-networking is never a challenge. Besides that, Male is connected very well by air with all destinations of the world, therefore associates often take their rest and recuperation leaves to explore new destinations,” he shares.

Jet Blade

LOOKING AHEAD 

Taj Maldives is starting to surpass pre-pandemic revenues from the second half of 2021. “We anticipate 2022 to generate a better and more diverse market mix with more countries opening up with better vaccination rate eg Europe, Japan, Australia, China, Canada and the USA. We cannot wait for the entire world to travel freely without any apprehension,” he says.

Parasailing