Maldives to Host World Travel Awards Gala on 27 September

The Maldives will host the World Travel Awards’ Asia, Oceania and Indian Ocean gala at CROSSROADS on Sunday, 27 September, with tourism and hospitality representatives from more than 40 countries expected to attend.

The ceremony falls on World Tourism Day. The organiser’s programme begins with a networking reception at 5.30pm, followed by dinner and the awards ceremony at 6.30pm. The evening is scheduled to end at 10pm.

Visit Maldives Corporation said the expected participants include hotel and resort executives, tourism boards, government institutions, hospitality owners and investors, travel-trade media, and airline and aviation companies.

The corporation announced on 25 September that Bank of Maldives had joined as Platinum Title Sponsor.

VMC chief executive and managing director Abdulla Yasir and BML chief executive and managing director Mohamed Shareef signed the sponsorship agreement. The announcement did not disclose its financial value.

Programme at CROSSROADS

The event covers three regions within the World Travel Awards programme: Asia, Oceania and the Indian Ocean. WTA announced CROSSROADS as the host venue in May.

The organiser specifies relaxed cocktail wear for the beach setting, with no requirement for heels or ties.

CROSSROADS is approximately 15 minutes by boat from Velana International Airport, according to WTA’s host announcement. Its event venue listing includes SAii Lagoon Maldives, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives and SO/ Maldives among the destination’s resorts.

Host agreement signed in June

Visit Maldives and CROSSROADS formalised the host-property agreement on 10 June.

The agreement was signed by Ibrahim Shiuree, VMC’s chief executive and managing director at the time, and Alexander Traeger, general manager of SAii Lagoon Maldives and CROSSROADS Marina.

The June announcement described the regional gathering as bringing together tourism stakeholders from Asia, the Pacific, Australasia and the Indian Ocean. The host agreement preceded the September announcement of BML’s title sponsorship.

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 and recognises businesses and destinations across the travel and tourism industry. The organiser identifies 2017 as the previous year in which the Maldives hosted its awards.