Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal has expressed ambitious hopes for the Maldives to win at least 15 awards at next year’s World Travel Awards (WTA).

Speaking at a celebratory event at Velana International Airport (VIA), the minister highlighted the nation’s impressive achievements at this year’s awards and outlined plans for future success.

At the 31st annual WTA, held in Madeira, Portugal, the Maldives secured the prestigious World’s Leading Destination title for the fifth consecutive year. This year’s accolades included nine awards across various categories, notably the World’s Leading Green Destination, which the country won for the first time. Other honours recognised top-tier resorts, seaplane services, and luxury travel experiences in the Maldives.

Minister Faisal credited the success to the collective efforts of the tourism industry and emphasised the importance of building on this momentum.

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) Managing Director, Ibrahim Shiori, highlighted plans to broaden the country’s tourism sector by focusing on diversification. Efforts will be directed towards exploring new markets, including sports tourism, health tourism, film tourism, and education tourism. These initiatives will be supported by innovative marketing strategies designed to achieve these objectives.

To mark this year’s success, the World’s Leading Destination monument at VIA was updated to include 2024, symbolising the Maldives’ enduring prominence in global tourism.