The island nation of the Maldives celebrates National Pavilion Day today.

An official ceremony was held in the Expo Center this morning. Maldives would showcase the country’s cultural heritage and society to the world via the platform of the Expo, Mahmood Razee, Maldives’ Minister of Economic Development, said at the ceremony.

Mahmood Razee

Shao Qiwei, director of China’s National Tourism Administration, said Chinese and Maldivian people have long-term friendly exchange and he believed visitors would learn more about the country’s modern lifestyle via its exhibition.

The Maldives Pavilion is in the Asia Joint Pavilion I in Zone A.

The pavilion theme is “Maldives, Tomorrow.”

In the past decade, the Maldives has grown into a model of tourism and environmental protection with tourism and fishery as the pillars of its development. It is also a leader in the fight against global warming, since rising waters encroach every year on the small island.

The pavilion showcases the country’s modern life by describing efforts in cultural preservation and environmental protection while developing industries.

Displays include folk art.

Marine resources include tuna, skipjack, lobster, shark and hawksbill sea turtles.

Source: en.expo2010.cn

Publishing firm Tropical Paradise Pvt Ltd has confirmed it is to hold a glittering Maldives Traveller Awards for Excellence event.

The event will honour the best resorts in the Maldives, as voted for by readers from around the world. The aim of the awards ceremony is to encourage excellence and competition within the Maldivian hospitality industry for the mutual benefit of consumers and those in the trade alike.

Tropical Paradise Pvt Ltd is the owner of Maldives Traveller magazine and website, which is registered in Maldives and France, and promotes the Maldives to an international audience. Readers from around the world have been voting for their favourite resorts on the magazine and the website survey. So far more than 50,000 surveys have been collected.

The results of the Maldives Traveller survey will help to compile the ultimate hotlist of the “best in the Maldives”, according to the votes of the consumers themselves. The votes will help compile a shortlist of five nominees for each of the 10 Maldives Traveller Awards for Excellence prize categories; which include the top “Dream Island” that travellers want to visit and overall “Best Resort in the Maldives”; as well as the best for honeymoons, wedding ceremonies, spa relaxation, snorkelling, diving, surfing, business and family holidays. Readers will be asked to vote for their favourites of the top five finalists in the 10 categories online in August, and the winners will be announced at the award ceremony.

Tropical Paradise Pvt Ltd has recently assigned stellar international events company, Mind-Set, to organise the Maldives Traveller awards ceremony. The glamorous award presentation ceremony will see a fabulous gala dinner and spectacular entertainment for nominees. It will take place in Berlin, Germany, in March 2011.

The glossy Maldives Traveller magazine, which celebrates its 10th anniversary next year, is distributed both in the Maldives and across the globe in seven different languages; English, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Russian and Chinese. It is the most comprehensive guide to Maldives resorts in existence, and includes information on Maldivian culture, society and flora and fauna as well as diving and surfing advice. The website, MaldivesTraveller.mv, covers Maldivian travel and tourism news and features, and is updated daily with the latest reports.

Mind-Set events company is based in Austria and has been making waves around the world for its events, promotions and incentives work with major multinational corporations including Western Union, Coca Cola, Toyota, Sony Ericson, HP and Nokia.

For more informationcall +960 333 7588 or email info@tropicalparadise.com.mv. www.maldivestraveller.mv

Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, who is also very popular in the Maldives and across the world, is set to perform in the country on June 6, event organisers have announced.

The music show, titled “Mega Music Show 2010″, is being organised by Inex Private in collaboration with Arts Solution and the Maldives Swimming and Life Saving Skills Training School. It will be the first time that Shahrukh Khan has performed in the Maldives. Rallies and other promotional events are already being held across Malé to gain more exposure for the event. The show is scheduled to be held at the empty lot called “Gaakoshi” in Ameenee Magu, next to Sinamalé apartments.

In addition to the Bollywood superstar, popular local bands and dance groups will also be performing at the show, according to the organisers.

Tickets for the show, costing Rf 800 for “general entry” tickets and Rf 1,000 for “VIP” tickets, are available now at the following shops in Malé: Venus, Venus Style, College, and Kids Republic.

When asked about the two different “classes” of tickets, an official involved in the event told Maldives Traveller that the VIP tickets were for the front row, the best seats in the house.

Source: www.maldivestraveller.mv

Viceroy Hotel Group announced today that the company will unveil the newest addition to its growing Viceroy Hotels and Resorts collection with the December 2010 opening of Viceroy Maldives.  The property is being developed by Maldives-based, luxury hotel developer, EoN Resorts (EoN), in partnership with Mubadala Development Company (‘Mubadala’).

Set on the pristine, crescent-shaped island of Vagaru, located in the Shaviyani Atoll, in the heart of the Indian Ocean, Viceroy Maldives will be the first Viceroy to open outside of the Americas in late 2010.  The property will feature 61 luxury villas, situated for maximum privacy both over the crystalline water as well as on the white sand beaches that ring the 17-acre island.

The villas – amongst the largest of the Maldives resorts – will boast from 1,345 to 3,300 square feet of indoor space, with generous outdoor private areas, all including plunge pools.  The resort will also offer five unique food and beverage outlets, a spacious over-water spa and fitness center, a signature pool and pool deck and a full-service dive and watersports activities center allowing Viceroy guests to take advantage of the world-class diving, fishing and snorkeling available in the resort’s house reef and beyond.

Viceroy Maldives Website: www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/maldives/

Oman Air the newest entrant to the Maldivian skies will commence operations on the 24th with 04 weekly flights to Male, with convenient connections to the Gulf, Middle East and Europe.

Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, offers an outstanding First and Business Class product, excellent services and a modern fleet; positioning itself as a boutique airline in the premium segment.

“We are very excited about commencing operations in Maldives. It will open up new opportunities for people travelling between Muscat and Maldives, and will soon prove to be a winner for both business and leisure customers,” said Mr. Peter Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air.

Oman Air, the flagship company of the Sultanate of Oman’s Civil Aviation sector, commenced operations in 1993. Starting off as a regional player, Oman Air, as Oman’s national carrier has witnessed rapid growth since then.

“Oman Air’s entry into Maldives comes at an opportune time, As a full-fledged commercial airline, Oman Air has always maintained high performance standards, and will continue to do so. Our flights to Maldives also offers passengers the most modern and fuel-efficient aircrafts with aesthetically designed interiors,” said Mr. Gihan Karunaratne, Country Manager – Sri Lanka & Maldives, Oman Air.

Oman Air currently operates direct international flights from its hub in Oman, Muscat to Gulf destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh. In the subcontinent to: Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Bangalore, Kozhikode, Jaipur, Chittagong and Karachi; flights to the UK and Europe include London, Frankfurt, Munich and Paris, Far East includes Bangkok and in the Middle East to Cairo, Beirut and Amman. Oman Air also operates domestic flights from Muscat to Salalah and Khasab.

Ultra-modern in-flight service equipment is deployed onboard to improve safety and overall performance. Investment in new technology, planning and product innovation has propelled Oman Air to the forefront of the aviation industry.

Oman Air stands tall with a list of achievements to its credit. It is the first airline in the Gulf to introduce the brand new Boeing NG 737 aircraft series. Oman Air’s safety record is a matter of pride and also boasts excellent on-time performance – OTP exceeding 95%.

Oman Air strives hard to enhance products in terms of convenience, efficiency and service so that flying is consistently an enjoyable experience. Achieving and maintaining internationally recognized standards of quality and safety is a continuous and uncompromising process in every department of Oman Air.