The third annual Maldives Tourism Awards (MTA) awarded eight establishments with 10 honours on Friday and unveiled three new awards for next year’s cycle during a ceremony held at Barceló Nasandhura Male’.
Established in 2022, the Maldives Tourism Awards recognises excellence in human resource development, community engagement, innovation, and sustainability within the nation’s tourism sector. This year, eight establishments received a total of 10 awards for achievements in staff wellbeing, human resource development, community engagement, and environmental stewardship.
The ceremony paid tribute to the late former Minister of Tourism Hassan Sobir (O.D.R.I.) and industry pioneer Mohamed Umar Maniku (O.D.R.M.D.), observing a moment of silence in honour of their contributions to the development of Maldivian tourism.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim congratulated the winners and encouraged the industry to work collectively to maintain the Maldives’ position as a premier travel destination. He reiterated the government’s commitment to sustainable growth and development in tourism, highlighting efforts to enhance connectivity and strengthen institutional frameworks as a stable platform for continued industry growth and innovation.
Minister Thoriq also announced three new awards for the upcoming cycle, recognising achievements in women’s empowerment, support for local arts and crafts, and individual professional accomplishments.
For the 2024 awards, 84 applications were received from 43 facilities competing across 19 categories. These included five awards each for tourist resorts, tourist hotels, tourist guesthouses, and tourist vessels, along with Excellence Awards for travel agencies and dive centres based in resorts and local islands. Applications were assessed by three independent judging panels, each comprising three members with expertise in the tourism sector.
The 2024 awards mark the third cycle of the Maldives Tourism Awards, covering the period from June 2023 to May 2024, and continue the initiative’s goal of recognising and celebrating outstanding contributions to the country’s tourism industry.
