The Maldives has secured six nominations in the Indian Ocean category of the World Travel Awards 2026, reinforcing the destination’s strong international profile and its continued reputation for delivering exceptional hospitality, environmental stewardship, and memorable visitor experiences. The country is shortlisted for Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination, Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Destination, Indian Ocean’s Leading Dive Destination, Indian Ocean’s Leading Green Destination, Indian Ocean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination, and Indian Ocean’s Leading Tourist Board, reflecting the breadth of the Maldives’ appeal across leisure, marine tourism, romance travel, and destination marketing.
Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards is widely recognised as one of the travel industry’s most respected honours programmes, celebrating excellence across destinations, tourism boards, hospitality brands, and travel services worldwide. For the Maldives, this year’s nominations arrive against the backdrop of an already distinguished record at the awards. In recent years, the destination has claimed Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination every year from 2020 to 2025, Indian Ocean’s Leading Green Destination in 2024 and 2025, Indian Ocean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination in 2024, Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Destination from 2020 to 2023, Indian Ocean’s Leading Dive Destination from 2020 to 2024, and Indian Ocean’s Leading Tourist Board from 2021 to 2023. On the global stage, the Maldives also won World’s Leading Destination from 2020 to 2025, World’s Leading Green Destination in 2024 and 2025, and World’s Leading Tourist Board in 2022 and 2023.
With voting now open, the Maldives is encouraging support from residents, tourism industry stakeholders, international travel trade partners, and visitors around the world as it seeks to maintain its momentum on one of tourism’s most visible global platforms. The Indian Ocean voting window is currently open and is scheduled to close on 7 August 2026, giving both members of the public and travel professionals an opportunity to back the destination during a particularly significant year for Maldivian tourism. These nominations are not only a recognition of the country’s natural beauty, but also of the sustained efforts made across the tourism value chain to elevate service standards, diversify experiences, and strengthen the destination’s sustainability credentials.
Adding further prominence to the year, the World Travel Awards has announced that its Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony will be held in the Maldives on 27 September 2026, coinciding with World Tourism Day. CROSSROADS Maldives will serve as the host venue, bringing an added layer of contemporary destination appeal to the occasion. Located just 15 minutes by boat from Velana International Airport, CROSSROADS Maldives has built a distinctive identity as a multi-island lifestyle destination that extends beyond the traditional one-island-one-resort concept. With its integrated mix of accommodation, marina experiences, dining outlets, retail offerings, wellness facilities, and entertainment spaces, the property presents a modern expression of Maldivian hospitality and is well positioned to welcome regional tourism leaders for the VIP reception and gala celebrations.
The selection of CROSSROADS Maldives and the strength of this year’s nominations together underline how the Maldives continues to evolve while remaining true to the qualities that have made it one of the world’s most admired travel destinations. For global travellers, the country represents not only iconic beaches, renowned diving, and celebrated honeymoon experiences, but also a tourism sector increasingly shaped by innovation, sustainability, and high-value visitor experiences. As the 2026 awards season progresses, the Maldives enters the competition with both an accomplished legacy and a strong platform for continued international recognition.
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