Maldives to welcome World Travel Awards Grand Final

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The 23^rd edition of the World Travel Awards Grand Final 2016 will take place on 2 December at Olhuveli Beach & Spa resort.

The prestigious red-carpet event will welcome industry leaders from around the globe to this internationally acclaimed destination.

“It is an honour to reveal the World Travel Awards will return to the Maldives in December for our Grand Final 2016,” said Graham Cooke, President of World Travel Awards.

“This is truly one of the most sought after destinations anywhere on earth, and it will be our pleasure to welcome our nominees to what promises to be the highlight of the tourism calendar. Preparations are already underway for the event and I look forward to greeting the leaders of our booming industry to the Maldives later this year.”

World Travel Awards’ regional Gala Ceremonies have already taken place in Tanzania and Peru, with stops scheduled in Italy, Jamaica, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates before the end of the year.

Winners from each regional celebration progress to the Grand Final in December.

The Maldives was nominated in several categories, including World’s Leading Beach Destination, World’s Leading Cruise Destination, World’s Leading Destination, World’s Leading Dive Destination, World’s Leading Green Destination, Leading Honeymoon Destination, World’s Leading Island Destination and World’s Leading Tourist Board, with the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport being nominated for Leading Airport.

Several hotels and resorts in the Maldives were nominated in a number of Categories:

• World’s Leading Boutique Cruise – Four Seasons Explorer
• World’s Leading Airport Resort – Hulhule Island Hotel
• World’s Leading Beach Resort – LUX* South Ari Atoll
• World’s Leading Boutique Hotel – Hideaway Resort & Spa
• World’s Leading Boutique Villa Resort – Anantara Veli Maldives
• World’s Leading Dive Resort – Constance Moofushi
• World’s Leading Exclusive Private Island – Coco Privé Kuda Hithi Island, Velaa Private Island
• World’s Leading Family Resort – Lily Beach Resort & Spa, The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi
• World’s Leading Green Resort – Park Hyatt Hadahaa
• World’s Leading Honeymoon Resort –  Jumeirah Vittaveli, Soneva Fushi Resort, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa
• World’s Leading Hotel – Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
• World’s Leading Hotel Suite – Royal Island Suite @ JA Manafaru
• World’s Leading Island Resort – Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas
• World’s Leading Island Villas – Baros Maldives and W Retreat & Spa
• World’s Leading Luxury Island Resort – Baros Maldives, COMO Cocoa Island, PER AQUUM Huvafen Fushi
• World’s Leading Luxury Island Villas –  Baros Maldives, W Retreat & Spa
• World’s Leading Luxury Resort – Ayada Maldives, Cheval Blanc Randheli
• World’s Leading MICE Hotel – Kurumba Maldives
• World’s Leading New Resort – aaaVeee Nature’s Paradise
• World’s Leading Private Island Resort – Coco Privé Kuda Hithi Island, COMO Cocoa Island
• World’s Leading Resort Residences – Baros Residence
• World’s Leading Retreat – COMO Cocoa Island & W Retreat & Spa
• World’s Leading Underwater Hotel Restaurant –  Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Sea at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, Subsix at PER AQUUM Niyama, Maldives
• World’s Leading Villa Resort – Ayada Maldives
• World’s Leading Water Villa Resort – Adaaran Prestige Water Villas, Ayada Maldives, Baros Maldives, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, JA Manafaru, Olhuveli Beach & Spa Maldives, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi

• World’s Most Romantic Resort – Baros Maldives and Soneva Fushi Resort

• World’s Leading Travel Agency – Get Into Maldives Travels and Vermillion International Maldives

Evgenia Boyankova, Group Director of Business Development, Sun Siyam Resorts said : “We are honoured to host the Grand Final of World Travel Awards 2016 at Olhuveli Beach & Spa, and equally delighted to be welcoming the best of the best to this amazing destination.

“Our group, Sun Siyam Resorts, has already won a couple of accolades at the regional ceremonies and cannot wait for the global announcements in December.”

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

Attended by senior executives from major travel companies, operators, destinations, WTA events are universally respected as providing established, top level networking opportunities, regionally and globally.

The brand aims to celebrate those organisations who push the boundaries of industry excellence.

Each year World Travel Awards covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective successes within each key geographical region.

World Travel Awards Gala Ceremonies are widely regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries, and international print and broadcast media.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]