By “Coming Soon!” A caption read above the navy and white announcement of a new student chapter of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO). “These students will have the opportunity to be on the board of the chapter and gain experience as well as work with us”, noted its CEO of five months, Aminath Suzan whose excitement and pride in this revolutionary move shone through beyond the interviewer’s lense. This moment itself captures the essence of who she is, and how MATATO and this trailblazer are a perfect pairing.
A proud graduate with a Masters from the University of Cambria in the UK, the increasingly well-informed and sharp-witted leader made headlines everywhere in January with her appointment as the CEO of one of the most integral pillars of the Maldivian tourism industry. Publicly, she may be a familiar face to many, but it is the time privately analyzing, implementing and learning that has made her a force to be reckoned with today.
Her leadership and oversight has been proven time and time again with the long list of boards she has presided over, including the Maldives National Association of Construction Industry (MNACI), and the National Federation of Maldivian Employees (NFME). A former employee of HSBC, she was also the MD of the Hotels and Resort Construction Pvt. Ltd.
Speaking about the 18 year old association that is MATATO, their CEO touched base on all the many, many ways that MATATO has been shaping the Maldivian tourism industry since its inception in 2006. The non-profit has been engineering informed, research-driven and intentional promotion of Maldives in the international market while working closely with government and stakeholders in policy-making and beyond. The organization is also known for keeping the industry honest and ensuring integrity and international best practices while advocating compliance and ethics.
“We’ve always been committed to supporting local businesses and members and we engage with international stakeholders……What I want to note is that we have a really, really good Master Plan and if we follow that, and do everything right I think we have a really bright future ahead of us”.
Oftentimes you will find MATATO as a link between varying stakeholders of the industry. Suzan spoke regarding the upcoming roadshow collaboration with
MMPRC as well as the National Hotel and Guesthouse Association of Maldives (NHGAM), “Welcome India”. The tri- state roadshow is slated to begin in the city of New Delhi, India on 30 July, and will go on to Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Speaking to the close bond MATATO has with the Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), Suzan noted that in addition to taking part in joint fairs, both organizations also work together on digital marketing and social media promotions as well as building strategic partnerships with key market media outlets. She highlighted the joint global communication efforts, implementation of health and safety protocols and travel advisories and price management strategies that went behind rebuilding travel confidence during and after the pandemic.
With an impressive and encyclopedic knowledge of the industry, one key insight that the CEO spoke about was how we need to deeply understand the magnitude of climate change and its impact on our vulnerable assets like the ocean and ecosystem. She believes we can mitigate negative impacts via not only creating measures and policy but also actively policing its implementation closely.
Suzan also noted how an overreliance on tourism may not be the best thing for the economy, “..we have seen (how it was during) the pandemic when borders were shut down”. She believes focusing on other sectors such as agriculture, fishing, manufacturing as well as incentivising foreign investors towards these areas will help mitigate this pressure. She further noted the significance of identifying our very own market strategies in order to alay rising market competition.
The CEO noted how, although it is important to nurture the existing luxury market, it is also important to expand our vision to areas such as rural history and sports tourism. Suzan believes that we should be smart enough to efficiently manage resources and infrastructure through actively investing in advanced desalination water systems as well as waste management facilities. She remarked, “We have to find ways to reduce the costs and achieve operational efficiency”.
She believes in combating socio-economic pain-points through utilizing the local workforce and a healthy shift in the reliance on foreign workers, “It’s not something which we can do overnight. It’s a long-term investment”. Suzan also highlighted the necessity of honing in on sourcing and procuring raw materials from local businesses.
Her position also comes with a great responsibility. Putting it concisely and matter-of-factly, Suzan noted, “I think MATATO’s role is the same as any other organization. We are very vocal about championing women’s empowerment in tourism and also in other fields as well”. Here to change the name of the game, the business aficionado has carried out discussions with authorities and stakeholders regarding the glaring underrepresentation of women in the tourism industry (less than 5 percent).
She touched base on social stigma and gender disparity and the importance of the role that especially women have to play, in closing this gap. Under her stewardship, MATATO has also centered their Annual Maldives Travel Conference around women in the industry with its Women’s Edition. A few months ago, just this past women’s day, the CEO herself spearheaded insightful discussion and showcased inspirational women in this male-driven industry with Leading the way: Women in Action by MATATO – available on MATATO’s Youtube.
Integrity, knowledge amid the heavy responsibility of community and empowerment paid as a tribute by the tourism industry to Maldives : we may very well be describing either MATATO or its CEO. They are one in the same. A perfect pairing, and we cannot wait to see all the wonderful things they will do.