The Insider
Joali Being CREDIT: Jacob Lund Photography
dining venues and experiences. Soneva raised the bar with the opening of its third property in the Maldives this year. Home to just 14 villas, Soneva Secret is the brand’s most exclusive resort yet. “Soneva Secret takes our offering to the ultimate superlative version of what KV ECP DG q UC[U CEVKPI EJKGH EQOOGTEKCN QHƂEGT %NCKTG Glasby. Next year, the property will unveil the Maldives’ ƂTUV ƃQCVKPI XKNNC YJKEJ YKNN JCXG VJTGG OQQTKPI RQKPVU across the resort and be accessible via an electric boat. Also creating a distinctive offering is Joali with its
wellbeing sister isle Joali Being. With 68 pool villas, VJG JQVGN RTQXKFGU EWVVKPI GFIG VTGCVOGPVU VCKNQTGF programmes and ‘holistic healing’. Global sales and marketing director Semiha Askin says: “It’s like nothing else in the Maldives. Many guests opt for a split stay between Joali’s two resorts to get the best of both.” The sea of product vying for attention can no doubt be overwhelming, but Harris suggests agents use this to their advantage. “If clients feel they have fallen out of love with
the Maldives or ticked it off, they’re probably bored with returning to the same hotel or island,” she
says, adding that Elegant Resorts has seen “massive ITQYVJq KP ENKGPVU VCMKPI C VYKP EGPVTG JQNKFC[ UQOGVJKPI VJCV pYCUPoV V[RKECN RTG %QXKFq She adds: “It has worked really well for people who may be apprehensive about trying somewhere new, so we package their trip with an old favourite.” 6QOCU %QEJTCPG FKTGEVQT QH UCNGU CPF OCTMGVKPI
CV +PFKCP 1EGCP URGEKCNKUV &/% *WOOKPIDKTF 6TCXGN agrees, and advises that agents booking a twin centre should choose properties in different atolls. “There are more than 1,000 islands in the
Maldives, and each one is almost like its own country and offers something different,” he says. p(QT GZCORNG /CNÅ KU HCUVGT RCEGF YJGTGCU
the South Ari atoll is famous for whale sharks. It’s about understanding exactly what your clients want and convincing them to broaden their horizons.”
EVOLVING ACTIVITIES For clients who haven’t yet discovered the Maldives, %QEJTCPG UC[U VJGTG ECP DG C VGPFGPE[ VQ XKGY VJG KUNCPFU CU UQNGN[ C pƃ[ CPF ƃQRq FGUVKPCVKQP
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ASPIRETRAVELCLUB.CO.UK THE INSIDER NOVEMBER 2024 19
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