World Travel Awards (WTA) has announced that the five-star Sun Aqua Vilu Reef in Maldives will host its prestigious Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2017.

The event will take place on July 8 with hospitality leaders from across the region expected to be in attendance at Sun Aqua Vilu Reef, which offers 103 luxurious rooms and suites — all of which come with deep soaking tubs, complimentary Wi-Fi and 24-hour room service.

Ahead of the Indian Ocean Ceremony, WTA Founder and President Graham Cooke said: “It is an honour for us to reveal Sun Aqua Vilu Reef as the host for the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Ceremony 2017.”

“This is a wonderful resort in a picturesque tourist hotspot. It will be genuine pleasure for us to welcome nominees to the event in July.”

Voting for the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony is open until May 22.

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry. Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

Each year, World Travel Awards covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.

World Travel Awards Gala Ceremonies are widely regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries and international print and broadcast media.

Sun Aqua Vilu Reef’s sister property The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi was the host of the gala event for World Travel Awards 2016 in December. At the ceremony, Sun Aqua Vilu Reef was crowned the World’s Leading Water Villa Resort.