Maldives Travel Awards is now open for nomination in 45 categories featured across three editions that collectively represent resorts, guesthouses, hotels, liveaboards and personalities, organiser Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) announced Monday.
Travel businesses delivering outstanding performance in the industry are encouraged to submit applications for the awards before August 15. Nominations are registered through online platform on the Maldives Travel Awards’ official website.
The exclusive Guesthouse Edition features 14 categories, including special accolades for leading guesthouse islands. MATATO also gives special recognitions in three categories. Winners in the Guesthouse Edition are selected based on their ratings on TripAdvisor and popular vote collected through online and SMS voting platforms.
Winners of the Guesthouse Edition will be announced in September at a special function to be hosted in Thoddoo island on Alif Alif atoll.
In 2017, the Guesthouse Edition received more than 175 nominations and registered a record number of 176,000 votes.
The Gala Edition, which is exclusive for resorts, hotels, liveaboards and airlines, features 25 categories.
This year, Maldives Travel Awards will adopt a new format to evaluate and judge the nominees in the Gala Edition. Sixty per cent of the score will be provided by a panel of expert travel professionals selected from leading local and international travel institutions that will evaluate the nominees based on presentations given by them. Popular vote will account for the remaining 40 per cent of the score.
Winners of the Gala Edition will be honoured at the annual Maldives Travel Awards Gala, dubbed as the premier travel event of the year.
In 2017, more than 75 companies registered 278 nomination in the Gala Edition.
Maldives Travel Awards is the prize created to celebrate the commitment, Excellence & expertise in
the Maldivian Tourism Industry. First launched in 2012, MTA recognizes exceptional achievements
across a wide spectrum of sectors in the travel industry, acknowledging and honoring the very best
that the Maldives travel industry has to offer. The winning properties represent industry standards for
excellence and innovation, serving as examples for others to follow.
Initiated in 2012 MATATO, Maldives Travel Awards celebrate and honour the best tourism and hospitality products in the Maldives whilst fostering relationships with suppliers and local travel agents. From 20 categories in 2012, the awards have now expanded into three editions totalling 55 categories.
MATATO hosts 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.
“We have a long way from 2012, when we first introduced the awards in 2012. The categories have more than doubled since then, and the nominations tripled in numbers. And across the three editions of the awards, we see strong and committed engagement from hoteliers, local and international alike without whom we could have not come this far. Today, we represent most of the leading brands and names in the industry with staggering numbers of numbers nominations in each category. And we hope to grow and continue on this momentum with Maldives Travel Awards 2019,” MATATO President Abdulla Suood was quoted in a statement, as saying.
The non-profit also combines the grand gala with the travel conference happening a day before, bringing an international audience of industry experts.