Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/ Visit Maldives) is proud to reveal a monumental accomplishment for the destination - the Maldives has emerged as the World's Leading Destination at the esteemed World Travel Awards 2023. This prestigious recognition was earned by the Maldives for a fourth consecutive year amidst fierce competition from 17 acclaimed global destinations, including Dubai, Indonesia, New Zealand, Spain, and Vietnam. This award further solidifes the Maldives' consistent excellence and unmatched charm that distinguishes us as the top destination in the world.

The Maldives once again claimed the two most distinguished awards at the World Travel Awards event held at Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab on the December 1, 2023. In addition to securing The World’s Leading Destination 2023 title, MMPRC was honoured as the World’s Leading Tourist Board 2023, marking the second consecutive year winning this prestigious title. These wins are testament to the Maldives’ exceptional standing in the global tourism landscape and the enduring appeal of the Sunny Side of Life to travellers worldwide.

The Maldives was also nominated as the World's Leading Beach Destination 2023, World's Leading Dive Destination 2023, World's Leading Honeymoon Destination 2023, World's Leading Island Destination 2023, and World's Most Romantic Destination 2023. This exceptional fourth consecutive win reaffirms the Maldives' commitment to delivering unparalleled experiences, and we extend our gratitude to our visitors, industry partners, and stakeholders whose steadfast support has been pivotal in achieving this milestone.

This year has been a stand out year for the Maldives, brimming with remarkable and strategic initiatives. A total of 348 promotional activities undertaken by November 23, 2023, accumulating a total reach of over 4,534,603,078, significantly bolstering the Maldives' visibility as the ultimate tourist destination across continents. The collective effort and steadfast support of tourism industry stakeholders played an instrumental role in elevating the destination to global recognition and desirability. A notable Highlight was the Visit Maldives Storytellers’ Conference 2023 – an initiative that artfully showcased the Maldives’ rich cultural heritage and natural splendour captivating audiences on a global scale. More significant campaigns include collaborations with esteemed partners such as CNN International Commercial and BBC Studios amongst others. Another standout achievement in 2023 was the welcoming of the one–million visitors within only seven months.

The World Travel Awards was established in 1993, is the most prestigious honours programme in the global travel and tourism industry recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence. It serves to acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. The selection of winners is carried out by a voting system consisting of qualified travel professionals working with the travel and tourism industry along with consumer buyers.

The Maldives also received the newly-introduced Global Tourism Resilience Award at this event, given to the 5 leading destinations and countries for strategically building capacity to recover swiftly and thrive after disruptions.