Visit Maldives launches photo competition “This is My Maldives” | News

Visit Maldives Corporation Limited (VMC) has launched ‘This is My Maldives’, a global photography competition that invites creators and visual storytellers to share the Maldives through their own lenses, as part of the public launch of Creatoll, the digital marketplace for creative content from the Maldives.
The competition was announced during Creatoll’s public launch ceremony at Public Service Media, where the platform was officially launched by the Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage, Honorable Heena Waleed, and the CEO and Managing Director of Visit Maldives Corporation, Ibrahim Shiuree.
“This is My Maldives” invites participants to submit original photos that capture what the Maldives means to them in terms of places, people, culture, nature and experiences. The competition is open to photographers of all levels and seeks to celebrate the beauty, diversity, culture and daily life of the Maldives through authentic visual storytelling.
The winning entry will receive a cash prize of MVR 50,000. Photos submitted must be original works taken in the Maldives. Copyright remains with the photographer, while submitted entries grant VMC a non-exclusive license to use the images for destination promotion and other official purposes.
The competition is part of VMC’s broader efforts to encourage creator participation through Creatoll, providing photographers, videographers, filmmakers, creative businesses and content owners with a platform to showcase, license and monetize authentic Maldivian content.

Developed by VMC, Creatoll is designed to serve as a national digital marketplace for visual, cultural and creative assets from the Maldives. The platform connects creators and content owners with customers including tourism companies, media organizations, production houses, broadcasters, government agencies, diplomatic missions, agencies and other users looking for authentic Maldives content.
Through Createtoll, creators can build verified professional profiles, upload photography, video and stock footage, showcase their portfolios, set pricing where applicable, retain ownership of their work and earn from successful content sales. Customers can browse the marketplace, download free content where available, purchase licensed content and request access to select media assets through clear digital agreements and approved usage periods.
Speaking at the ceremony, CEO and Managing Director of Visit Maldives Corporation, Ibrahim Shiuree, said Creatoll was founded to support the people whose creative work shapes how the Maldives is seen, remembered and shared.
“Creatoll offers creators a way to build visibility, protect their work and access new opportunities. For destination marketing, it strengthens our ability to tell the story of the Maldives from authentic local perspectives. The Maldives is not just sun, sand and sea. It is also people, heritage, memory, skills, creativity and culture,” he said.
The launch also highlighted VMC’s partnership with the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage to strengthen Creatoll as a national platform for Maldivian visual, cultural and creative content. The Ministry will also support cultural representation, categorization, contextual metadata and the integration of relevant databases of artists, artisans and cultural practitioners where appropriate.
The public launch took place at Public Service Media, with whom VMC has partnered to further strengthen Creatoll through the integration of selected archival and contemporary media assets. Through the collaboration, PSM will contribute material including photography, documentaries, historical footage, interviews and cultural documentation, many of which capture decades of Maldivian history, heritage and island life.
The partnership brings together VMC’s destination marketing expertise with PSM’s role as the country’s largest broadcaster and custodian of one of the country’s largest audiovisual archives, creating a more comprehensive platform for the Maldives’ visual, cultural and creative assets.
Createol is positioned as more than a content marketplace. It aims to support the growth of the creative economy, strengthen destination storytelling, improve access to authentic Maldivian content and create new commercial opportunities for creators, content owners, cultural institutions and creative businesses.
VMC invites creators, photographers, videographers, filmmakers, tourism partners, media organizations, institutions and creative businesses to join Creatoll and contribute to building a national platform for Maldivian stories, culture and creativity.