Male’, Maldives, 12th November 2022 – The Maldives has successfully secured the title of the World’s Leading Destination for the third year in a row at the World Travel Awards 2022. This moment of triumph for the nation was announced at an event held late Friday evening. The Maldives received several awards including the most prestigious title in the global tourism industry for the third year running.
The CEO & MD of MMPRC / Visit Maldives, Mr Thoyyib Mohammed, and the Minister of Tourism of the Maldives, Dr Abdulla Mausoom, accepted the award on behalf of the nation at the awards ceremony held at Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Oman. The Maldives competed against 18 other countries for this title, including Dubai, Portugal, Indonesia, and Greece and more.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Tourism stated, “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.”
CEO & MD Thoyyib commented, “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.”
The Maldives first secured the title of the World’s Leading Destination in 2020, in the midst of the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although many nations struggled as world borders closed and international travel ground to a halt, the Maldives was, unfortunately, able to turn the tide by focusing on using online platforms to market our beautiful nation. The strategy to promote the unique geographical formation of the Maldivian islands as the key USP of the one-island-one-resort concept and the characteristics make the Maldives one of the safest destinations for visitors even amidst the pandemic effectively served as a consistent reminder of the safety of this destination for tourists.
The second win came in 2021 by which time, international borders were opening and more competitors were re-emerging. The tourism industry itself evolved as hybrid activities became the norm, and the number of visitors looking up information online about our nation skyrocketed and the Maldives officially became the most googled destination in the world. MMPRC’s ‘Redefining MICE’ campaign was a great success and prompted even more travelers to see the Maldives truly as a destination with something for everyone.
In 2022, Maldives strived to retain its place as the ultimate destination whilst competing with fully-active destinations from around the world. Winning this award a third year in a row, especially during our Golden Jubilee Year of Tourism, has not only fortified our nation’s place as a tourism hotspot but also as a leader in the global travel trade.
