For the third year in a row, Maldives has taken home the prestigious World’s Leading Destination trophy at the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2022. The destination beat out 18 other countries for this title including, Dubai, Portugal, Indonesia, and Greece. In addition to this, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), competing with 28 other prominent tourism boards, attained its maiden award for the World’s Leading Tourist Board at the event.
Established in 1993, World Travel Awards is the most prestigious honors program in global travel. The award is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence. The 29th edition of the ceremony was held in Oman on 11th November 2022.
The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (CEO & MD of MMPRC/ Visit Maldives), Mr Thoyyib Mohammed, and the Minister of Tourism of the Maldives, Dr Abdulla Mausoom, accepted the trophies on behalf of the nation at the awards ceremony.
“This accomplishment is a testament to the popularity and vibrancy of the Maldives as a tourist destination. The industry’s achievements throughout the past three years reflect the resilience of the Maldives tourism industry amidst any crisis – and that united, we can achieve anything,” said Dr Abdulla Mausoom, Maldives’ Minister of Tourism.
Speaking at the ceremony, CEO & MD, MMPRC, Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed stated, “It is truly an honour to win the prestigious title of World’s Leading Destination for the third year in a row. This year is our Golden Jubilee of Tourism in the Maldives, and I couldn’t have asked for a better achievement to mark 50 years of welcoming visitors to our shores. This award is thanks to the guidance of our government, the support of our partners, and the hard work of the tourism industry as a whole. And of course, our visitors- we are blessed that people from around the world love the Maldives so much.”
“This is also the first year that MMPRC, also known as Visit Maldives, secured the title of the World’s Leading Tourist Board. It feels like an affirmation of the hard work of our team over these past few years, pushing through the toughest global crises of recent times. Thank you to everyone for voting for the Maldives, and I hope to welcome you soon to the Sunny Side of Life.”
Maldives has also won several awards at WTA’s Africa and Indian Ocean Gala ceremony including, Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination 2022, Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Destination and Indian Ocean’s Leading Dive Destination. MMPRC also secured the title of Indian Ocean’s Leading Tourist Board at the event held last month in Kenya.