Gala celebrations of Maldives Travel Awards are set to return this year to Paradise Island Resort, which played host to the first ever gala of the premier travel event of Maldives in 2012.
Maldives Travel Awards 2018 gala, which takes place on December 27, will see more than 200 travel industry professionals come together to celebrate the winners in 25 categories of the Gala Edition, which is exclusive for the resorts, airlines and liveaboards operating in Maldives.
The seventh edition of Maldives Travel Awards saw a record number of nominations in all major categories. More than 200 nominations were registered for the 25 categories.
“We are very excited for the upcoming gala event which again marks historic milestones for Maldives Travel Awards. We continue to grow our numbers with more and more properties signing up for the Awards making this celebration ever more grand and significant,” Abdulla Suood, president of organiser Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), was quoted in a statement, as saying.
Winners were selected based on a combined rating of scores awarded by a panel of judges and popular vote collected via SMS and online platforms. More than 250,000 votes were registered on both platforms in 2018. The panel of judges, representing six industry professionals, travelled to nominated properties over a period of one month to evaluate the nominees. Winners in some of the categories in the Gala Edition such as airlines are decided on popular vote alone.
This year, winners of Maldives Travel Awards People’s Edition will also be announced at the gala. Five exceptional travel professionals will be recognised in the People’s Edition.
Initiated in 2012 by MATATO, Maldives Travel Awards celebrate and honour the best tourism and hospitality products in the Maldives, while fostering relationships with suppliers and local travel agents. From 20 categories in 2012, the awards have now expanded into three editions totalling 55 categories.
Like last year, MATATO is hosting three editions: the People’s Edition, which recognises successful pioneers and long serving individuals in the tourism industry, a Guesthouse Edition, which celebrates the outstanding performance of the up and coming guesthouse sector, and the Grand Gala, which is exclusive for winners in the categories for resorts, airlines and liveaboards.