Bank of Maldives (BML) has been named the Platinum Title Sponsor of the World Travel Awards Asia, Oceania & Indian Ocean 2026 Gala Ceremony, strengthening the national bank’s association with one of the global travel and tourism industry’s most recognised awards platforms as the prestigious event returns to the Maldives after a decade.
The World Travel Awards Asia, Oceania & Indian Ocean 2026 Gala Ceremony will be held in the Maldives on 27 September, coinciding with World Tourism Day. The event is expected to bring together leading figures from the international tourism and hospitality industry, providing the Maldives with an important platform to showcase its tourism offering to key industry decision-makers from across several of the world’s major travel markets.
More than 40 countries are expected to be represented at the ceremony, with senior executives from leading hotels and resorts, tourism boards, hospitality companies, resort owners and investors, government representatives, international travel trade media, airlines and aviation companies among those expected to attend. The gathering will create opportunities for industry engagement, networking and the development of new business relationships across Asia, Oceania and the Indian Ocean.
The gala ceremony will be hosted at CROSSROADS Maldives, the country’s first multi-island integrated leisure and lifestyle destination. Located within convenient reach of Velana International Airport, CROSSROADS Maldives provides an internationally accessible setting for the high-profile tourism gathering while showcasing the diversity and continued evolution of the Maldivian hospitality sector.
The integrated destination brings together several internationally recognised hospitality properties, including SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives and SO/ Maldives. Developed across connected islands, CROSSROADS Maldives combines resort accommodation, leisure facilities, retail and entertainment within a single destination concept, offering visiting tourism leaders an opportunity to experience a different dimension of the Maldives’ globally recognised hospitality industry.
The selection of the Maldives as host comes as the country continues to strengthen its position across key international tourism markets. Bringing senior tourism executives, investors, destination representatives, airlines and travel industry professionals to the Maldives provides further international exposure for the destination while creating opportunities for closer engagement between Maldivian tourism stakeholders and global industry leaders.
For BML, serving as Platinum Title Sponsor provides the bank with an opportunity to further strengthen its engagement with tourism businesses and industry stakeholders at both domestic and international levels. Tourism remains central to the Maldivian economy, with resorts, hotels, guesthouses, travel companies and other tourism-related businesses forming an important part of the country’s commercial landscape.
BML said its partnership with the World Travel Awards reflects the bank’s continued support for the Maldives’ tourism industry and its commitment to developing stronger relationships with businesses operating across the sector. The sponsorship will also provide the bank with increased engagement opportunities with hospitality owners, investors and senior executives representing established and emerging tourism markets.
The participation of the country’s national bank in an international tourism event of this scale further highlights the close relationship between financial services and the continued development of the Maldives’ tourism economy. Strong banking and financial services remain important for tourism businesses as they invest, expand operations, develop new properties and engage with partners and customers internationally.
The return of the World Travel Awards to the Maldives after 10 years is also expected to enhance the country’s international visibility at a time when competition among tourism destinations continues to grow. Hosting an event attended by influential figures from across the travel industry gives the Maldives an additional opportunity to present its hospitality products, resort developments, investment potential and destination experiences directly to an international audience.
The ceremony at CROSSROADS Maldives will particularly highlight the breadth of the country’s tourism product. While the Maldives has built its international reputation around its distinctive island resort concept, developments such as CROSSROADS Maldives demonstrate how the destination has continued to diversify its hospitality offerings while retaining the natural environment and island experience that have established the country as one of the world’s most recognised holiday destinations.
Hosting the regional World Travel Awards ceremony is expected to complement national efforts to maintain strong international visibility for Maldivian tourism and deepen engagement with strategic tourism markets. The presence of hospitality executives, investors, travel trade representatives and international media also creates opportunities to promote the Maldives beyond the awards ceremony itself and strengthen relationships that can support the sector’s longer-term growth.
Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards recognise excellence across the global travel and tourism industry. Awards are presented across a wide range of categories covering destinations, resorts, hotels, airlines and other tourism-related businesses and services, with regional ceremonies bringing together leading industry organisations and professionals.
With BML taking the role of Platinum Title Sponsor and CROSSROADS Maldives hosting the ceremony, the 27 September event will place the Maldives at the centre of regional tourism industry attention, bringing together influential stakeholders from Asia, Oceania and the Indian Ocean while showcasing the country’s hospitality sector to a global audience.
advertisment
advertisment
