Maldives wins WTA’s “World’s Leading Island Destination 2013”

The Maldives has been awarded the title of “World’s Leading Island Destination” at the 2013 World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Finale hosted at the La Cigale Hotel in Doha, Qatar last week.

This is the third time the Maldives has won the prestigious travel award. The WTA is hailed as the “Oscars of the Travel Industry.”

The Maldives competed against Bali in Indonesia, Barbados, Cook Islands, Crete in Greece, Jamaica, the Madeira Islands, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Sicily in Italy, St. Lucia, and Zanzibar in Tanzania this year.

Maldivian resorts also scooped a number of awards in various categories with Hulhule Island Hotel winning the World’s Leading Airport Resort 2013, and Conrad Maldives Rangali Island winning the World’s Leading Water Villa Resort 2013.

Baros Maldives won recognition as the World’s Most Romantic Resort 2013 and World’s Leading Island Villas 2013.

The Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) said the awards highlight the “uniqueness” of Maldives and recognizes the Maldives as a world-class luxury destination.

On November 25, the Maldives reached one million tourist arrivals for the first time in a calendar year. Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb said the “victory had been made possible amidst boycott campaigns and other such obstacles.”

The political turmoil following the controversial transfer of power in February 2012 had caused growth in the tourism industry to stall, but growth is expected to pick up this year.

Maldivian pro-democracy activists previously made headlines around the world after hijacking the MMPRC’s official hashtag and slogan “Sunny Side of Life” in 2012 and the official hashtag of London’s World Travel Market in November this year to call attention to police brutality in the Maldives.

The Maldives dominated this year’s Indian Ocean World Travel Awards (WTA) event held in May, scooping a number of prizes including ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Green Resort 2013′ and the ‘Indian Ocean’s Most Romantic Resort 2013′.

World Travel Awards celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year.

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8 thoughts on “Maldives wins WTA’s “World’s Leading Island Destination 2013””

  1. Hi Minivan,

    My comment on your article 'Raajje TV’s leadership set to face criminal charges over report on judiciary' (http://minivannewsarchive.com/politics/raajje-tvs-leadership-set-to-face-criminal-charges-over-report-on-judiciary-72554) was removed although it did not include any foul language or incitement towards hatred.

    I merely pointed out in my comment that the headline should read 'Raajje TV's management' and NOT leadership because the station is a commercial outfit and not a group of rebel insurgents or a political organization.

    Also there's a mistranslation within the article. It talks about a Regulation Protecting the COURTESY of the courts. The regulation actually concerns 'contempt of court' which is a universally known concept in most modern governance systems. The expression 'courtesy of the courts' makes no sense at all.

    Hope you allow my comment to be seen. I meant no disrespect or spite towards the writer. I just want to help him improve. Thanks.

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  2. No thanks "minivan and friends" and your allies/associates,

    Attempting to starve a small nation by calling for boycotts to serve a political agenda is plain disgusting

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  3. Why do you have to bring politics to every news article you write. Come on grow up Minivan News

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  4. "Maldivian pro-democracy activists previously made headlines around the world after hijacking the MMPRC’s official hashtag and slogan “Sunny Side of Life” in 2012 and the official hashtag of London’s World Travel Market in November this year to call attention to police brutality in the Maldives."

    Pro-democracy activists my foot!

    Even in West their action would be considered as a criminal offense! Hijacking, Hacking, Stealing, Vandalizing, Sabotaging etc..

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  5. What Damn doesnt know is that even though we already have a good tourism industry, the average Maldivian is facing poverty because almost all the money goes to the resort owners' swiss bank accounts.

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  6. resort owners are paying lease rent in millions, bed tax in millions, GST in millions, profit tax in million. Problem is that all these tax payers money which are supposed to spent wisely are being spent on party's promotion.

    Then to make party activists to get rich.

    No country distributes full profit from the business to their citizen and business pay tax to the Government and then and government need to spend the tax payers money to provide public services.

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  7. "Maldivian pro-democracy activists previously made headlines around the world after hijacking ?"

    Pro-democracy activists ? Since when does someone who hijack a conference become a Democracy activist ?
    Isnt that like kind of calling Osama bin ladin and Bashar al Asad freedom fighters or protectors of the peace
    (when the reality is that they're just murderers ?)

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