The Maldives will host an expanded edition of the World Travel Awards Gala Ceremony on September 27, bringing together tourism industry leaders and award winners from across Asia, Oceania and the Indian Ocean region.

The event, scheduled to coincide with World Tourism Day, will be held at CROSSROADS Maldives and highlights the return of the World Travel Awards to the Maldives for the first time since 2017. This year’s expanded format will include winners from tourism markets across Asia, the Pacific, Australasia and the Indian Ocean.

The Maldives has continued to secure major international tourism recognition in recent years, including repeated recognition as the “World’s Leading Destination”, while tourism remains the country’s largest economic sector.

Founder of the World Travel Awards Graham Cooke stated that the expanded ceremony would bring together some of the region’s leading tourism stakeholders and reflect the growing importance of Asian and Indian Ocean tourism markets within the global travel industry.

Managing Director of Visit Maldives Ibrahim Shiuree said the event would provide an opportunity to further promote the Maldives’ tourism industry and its sustainable tourism initiatives to international tourism stakeholders.

CROSSROADS Maldives was selected as the host venue for the ceremony. The integrated destination includes SAii Lagoon Maldives, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives and SO/ Maldives across connected islands. General Manager of SAii Lagoon Maldives and CROSSROADS Marina Alexandre Traeger stated that hosting the event reflects the destination’s vision of bringing together diverse tourism and hospitality experiences within a single integrated location.