It was a triumphant night for Maldives as the country once again secured the World’s Leading Destination title and other accolades at World Travel Awards 2021. The announcement was made at the WTA 2021 ceremony held virtually on 16th December 2021.
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 distinguished award is of great value to the destination, especially as it was achieved during such a challenging time. Maldives won the title by competing against 18 destinations including Dubai, Indonesia, Spain, Vietnam, USA and Greece.
Speaking about the achievement, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations (MMPRC) Thoyyib Mohamed expressed his sincere gratitude to everyone who voted for Maldives. MD Thoyyib noted that the achievement is possible due to the concerted efforts of the Government of Maldives, the Ministry of Tourism, other authorities, associations, NGOs and all tourism sector stakeholders. He particularly acknowledged the tireless effort of MMPRC employees in maintaining destination presence, marketing the destination as a safe haven, promoting our tourism products and our unique geography and experiences which promoted travelers confidence towards the destination post covid.
This is the second time the Maldives won the World’s Leading Destination in a row. The Maldives won the prestigious award last year during one of the most challenging periods for the tourism industry. The award is a testament to the strength, dedication, effort and planning shown by the Maldivian government during the pandemic. During the marketing efforts, emphasis was placed on promoting the unique geographical formation of the Maldivian islands and the key USP ‘one-island-one-respect-concept’. These characteristics make Maldives one of the safest destinations to travel to, thus making it a ‘safe haven’ for all travellers.
Several marketing activities and campaigns were carried out in 2021, providing a platform for tourists from around the world to relive the happiness and rediscover the wonders of Maldives. MMPRC carried out 209 different marketing activities in 24 global markets in 2021. These include 109 marketing campaigns in 24 markets, 60 fairs & virtual events, 10 roadshows and 30 familiarization trips. With interviews and other participation over 400 activities were conducted in 2021.
Maldives has also won 4 awards in the Indian Ocean category at World Travel Awards, attesting to this. These categories are Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination 2021, Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Destination, Indian Ocean’s Leading Dive Destination 2021, Indian Ocean’s Leading Tourist Board 2021. The destination has also won the famed Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination award 14 times within the last 18 years.