Maldives has been awarded “Indian Ocean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination” and “Indian Ocean’s Leading Cruise Destination” in the 18th World Travel Awards 2011.

The Maldives won 9 awards from Indian Ocean category. Other nominated destinations from this category are the Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion and Madagascar.

Maldives won 9 out of 22 awards:

1. Indian Ocean’s Leading Boutique Hotel – Cocoa Island, Maldives
2. Indian Ocean’s Leading Cruise Destination – Maldives
3. Indian Ocean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination – Maldives
4. Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Resort – Soneva Gili by Six Senses
5. Indian Ocean’s Leading New Resort – Ayada Maldives
6. Indian Ocean’s Leading Spa Resort – Hilton Maldives/Iru Fushi Resort & Spa, Maldives
7. Indian Ocean’s Leading Travel Agency – Vermillion International Maldives
8. Indian Ocean’s Leading Villa – Baros Residence, Baros Maldives
9. Indian Ocean’s Leading Water Villa Group – Adaaran Prestige Resorts

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in the world’s travel and tourism industry. With thousands of votes cast by travel professionals from 167,000 travel agencies in over 160 countries across the globe, winning a World Travel Award has become one of the highest accolades a travel product can achieve.

Maldives has been listed as the World’s Most Romantic Destination in the World Travel Awards.

The Maldives won the prestigious award for the second time this year by competing Indonesia’s Bali, Hawaii, Mauritius. Nominees in the category include New York, Paris, Seychelles, and Tuscany and Venice in Italy. The Maldives also received the award in 2007.

World Travel Awards also listed Maldives as the Leading Cruise Destination and Honeymoon Destination in the Indian Ocean region.

Maldives was nominated as World’s Leading Beach and Leading Island Destination and to the two awards in the Indian Ocean category. Maldives received the Leading Island Destination award in 2008 and Leading Beach award in 2003.

World’s Leading Water Villas title was awarded to Adaaran Prestige Water Villas, World’s Leading CSR Programme award to Banyan Tree and Leading Luxury Resort Brand award to Six Senses Resorts and Spa. Six Senses runs Soneva Gili and Soneva Fushi in the Maldives.

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

The Maldives has been ranked as the Best Country Brand for Beach and Best Country Brand for Rest and Relaxation for the year 2008. Maldives also ranked 2nd in the Best Country Brand for Natural Beauty and 3rd in the Best Country Brand for Resort and Lodging Options. The Country Brand Index was officially released during London’s World Travel Market in November 2008.

Country Brand Index is a comprehensive study of approximately 2,700 international business and leisure travellers from nine countries. It is conducted by FutureBrand, a global brand consultancy company and Weber Shandwick which is a public relations firm.

The main marketing slogan for the destination Maldives is “Maldives…the Sunny Side of Life”. The wellness and relaxation aspect is promoted under the theme of “Maldives…the Spiritual Side of Life”. Maldives was ranked number one in these two areas. Maldives emerged as the number one in both Beach and Rest and Relaxation categories after successfully competing with countries like Tahiti, Bahamas and Australia.

Maldives also won the ‘World’s Most Romantic Destination’ award at the WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS last year.

Source: visitmaldives.com

Maldives a longtime favorite destination for honeymooners around the world is named ‘World’s Most Romantic Destination’ at the 2007 World Travel Awards 14th Annual Gala Ceremony held on the islands of Turks & Caicos, Caribbean, on December 12, 2007.

In addition Maldives won several awards in the Indian Ocean’s category:

• Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination – Maldives
• Indian Ocean’s Leading Dive Destination – Maldives
• Indian Ocean’s Leading Diving Resort – Angsana Resort & Spa Maldives
• Indian Ocean’s Leading Resort – Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa
• Indian Ocean’s Leading Spa Resort – Huvafen Fushi Maldives
• Indian Ocean’s Leading Tourist & Convention Bureau – Maldives Tourism Promotion Board
• Indian Ocean’s Leading Travel Agency – Inner Maldives Holidays
• Indian Ocean’s Leading Villa – Baros Residence, Baros Maldives

The global winners of the World Travel Awards for 2007 were announced at a star-studded ceremony on the island of Providenciales, from votes cast by 167,000 tourism professionals and agents who were asked to vote. Next year’s voting register is likely to be even greater, due to the unprecedented levels of interest and expectation.

Hailed as the ‘Oscars of the travel industry’, World Travel Awards have been attracting media attention from all corners of the globe.