Maldives has received the World’s Leading Destination award at the Grand Final of the World Travel Awards 2020 announced at a virtual event held today. This is the first time Maldives won the award in the history of the island nation, which is also the most distinguished award category of World Travel Awards. Maldives competed in this category with 22 other destinations including Dubai, Malaysia, Spain, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka.
Upon receiving the award, Minister of Tourism H. E. Dr. Abdulla Mausoom said “Maldives winning World’s Leading Destination award is a strong endorsement of the popularity of Maldives amongst international tourists. This superb win reflects the strong determination and sound policies of HEP Solih and his administration, strive and strides of travel and tourism industry partners and employees; targeted #VisitMaldives promotion by industry partners and MMPRC and of course the warm smile of Maldivians. Congratulations!”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maldives as a whole and the travel and tourism industry was hit hard, and it caused an unprecedented level of disruption. Efforts and planning for the reopening of borders were made with the contribution of the entire industry, where an emphasis was given on the unique geographical formation of Maldivian islands, and the key USP of one-island-one-resort concept. These characteristics make Maldives a relatively safe destination and a safe haven for visitors. The rest of the world was constantly being made aware of the safety measures and important procedures in place for tourists, which came with the reopening of borders on 15th July 2020.
Source: www.tourism.gov.mv
