Business
Telegraph Travel Awards open for voting with luxury Maldives holiday prize

Telegraph Travel Awards have opened for voting with the chance to win a luxury holiday in the Maldives worth USD 39,108.
The categories included in the highly acclaimed awards include best country, best city, best short haul airline, best long haul airline, best tour operator, best tour operator, best specialist tour, best rail operator, best escorted tour, best hotel group, best ocean cruise line, best river cruise line, best ferry operator and best ski company.
For those who complete the survey, Telegraph is offering the chance to win one of 20 luxury holidays, including a 14-night stay at Coco Bodu Hithi in the Maldives with Coco Collection worth USD 39,108.
The prize includes 14 nights in a Coco Residence at Coco Bodu Hithi, including daily breakfast at Stars, lunch and dinner at Air, return airport transfers by speedboat and international economy flights with Qatar Airways. The prize is available for a year from November 1, 2017, excluding Dec 20, 2017 to January 6, 2018, February 11–21, 2018 and March 29-7 April 2018. All soft drinks at mealtimes are included but alcoholic drinks are not included. Excursions and activities are also not included in the prize.
Near enough to the main Velana International Airport and accessible by speedboat in just 40 minutes, yet far away from the hustle and bustle to be able to enjoy unobstructed panoramic views, Coco Bodu Hithi is a gem of an island. The winner of Most Romantic Resort at the 2016 South Asia Travel Awards, every villa at Coco Bodu Hithi is surrounded by the calm view of the lagoon and the soothing sound of the waves.
There is something different to discover at each of the five restaurants and two bars on the island, all with views of the lagoon and sunset. Winner of Luxury Seafood Restaurant in Maldives at the 2016 World Luxury Hotels Awards, Aqua is Coco Bodu Hithi’s fine-dining restaurant and boasts a distinctively romantic feel. Michelin-starred chefs visit the island every year to create one-off experiences – a testament to the resort’s reputation for serving some of the best food and drink in the Maldives.
As well as fantastic food, Coco Bodu Hithi offers an award-winning wellness zone on stilts over the clear water. Coco Spa has eight treatment rooms as well as a yoga pavilion overlooking the ocean and beach. With a range of products from the Paris label Thémaé combining the healing properties of tea, therapists at Coco Spa are trained in techniques to treat the mind, body and soul. An over-water gym within the zone inspires our guests to keep up with their regime of active wellness when away on a holiday.
Blessed with one of the best House Reefs in North Malé atoll, the over-water villas have been built with a conscious approach to not disrupt the healthy House Reef, which is home to an abundance of colourful reef fish, resident Hawksbill sea turtles, eagle rays and reef sharks. Just 15 minutes away is another reef dubbed the Turtle Point, one of the most loved snorkelling sites in the region where Hawksbill turtles are often spotted. Reef Manta Rays are often spotted 15 minutes away from our island at Rasfari Point or Bodu Hithi Thila.
The renowned British newspaper’s annual Travel Awards are not only the biggest of their kind, but they have long been the most trusted in the industry. They are voted for entirely by Telegraph readers who are among the most experienced, discerning and adventurous of travellers, and the number of responses dwarf all other awards of this type. Telegraph also assures that the methodology is sound and transparent; the results are qualitative, not quantitative, so it does not follow that the bigger the operator the better their chances of winning.
In last year’s edition of the Telegraph Travel Awards, Maldives was voted the second most favourite country amongst British travellers.
Britain is a major source market for the Maldives tourism industry. More than 100,000 British travellers visited the Maldives last year, a 9.8 percent increase from the year before.
Business
2 decades of culinary excellence: BBM’s founding legacy with Hotel Asia continues in 2025

Hotel Asia Exhibition and International Culinary Challenge is referred to be the hospitality industry event in the Maldives. In this year’s Culinary Challenge (19 to 22 October 2025) comprising competitions over 20 categories, most will take place at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies, Maldives National University, and some at the Synthetic Track, Hulhumalé.

A Founding Partnership that Endures
Since the very first edition in 2001, Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) has played a central role in shaping the International Culinary Challenge into the Maldives’ most prestigious culinary platform. The event has become a cornerstone for professional development, bringing together chefs from across the Maldives to compete, learn, and showcase their craft.

BBM and their associated Principals sponsor an overwhelming majority of categories. “From the beginning, our goal has been to create opportunities for Maldivian chefs to rise to global standards. This partnership has grown with the industry itself,” said A.V.S. Subrahmanyam, Chief Operating Officer of BBM.

Nurturing Local Talent
BBM’s contribution extends beyond sponsorship. The company has built a long-term system for recognizing and developing local culinary talent.
- BBM Chairman’s Trophy for the Best Maldivian Competitor.
- Most Promising Young Chef Award for emerging talent.
- Global exposure programs for Maldivian chefs through sponsored participation in international events.
- Pro-bono Masterclasses with world-renowned chefs to encourage learning and innovation.
Investing in the Future of Hospitality
Through initiatives such as Building Young Talent, BBM continues to mentor aspiring professionals and support the next generation of chefs. The company also promotes inclusivity by sponsoring opportunities for female and young chefs to gain international exposure.
BBM’s industry partnerships include its role as Title Sponsor of the Hotelier Maldives Awards, celebrating excellence across the Maldivian hospitality sector.

Proud Sponsors of Culinary Excellence
In 2025, BBM and its partner brands proudly sponsor 14 competition categories and 8 Main Awards, further strengthening their role in the development of culinary arts in the Maldives. Categories include Decorated Cake, Artistic Showpiece, Bread and Pastry Display, Three Desserts (Display), Desserts, Rice Dish, Asian Noodles, Team Challenge, Maldivian Dish, Creative Sandwich, Young Chef, Tea Challenge, tapas/finger food, and Iced Mocktail.
Business
Bestbuy Maldives, MNU forge partnership to advance hospitality education

The Maldives National University – Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies (MNU-FHTS) and Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen industry-academic collaboration and advance hospitality education in the Maldives.
The MoU was signed by Dr Aishath Shehenaz Adam, Vice Chancellor of MNU, and Ismail Hilmy, Chairman and Managing Director of BBM, during a ceremony attended by the university’s Chancellor Dr Mahmood Shaugee, senior management, and representatives from both organisations.
This partnership marks a significant milestone in developing a state-of-the-art Food and Beverage Practical Demonstration Kitchen at MNU-FHTS. BBM will support the upgrading of the existing Garde Manger kitchen and classrooms, contributing financially and materially to create a modern, industry-standard learning environment for future hospitality professionals.
Beyond infrastructure, the collaboration will extend to academic and training support, research and innovation in culinary arts, community engagement, and professional networking opportunities, ensuring that students gain practical, real-world experience aligned with industry expectations.
Highlighting the broader purpose of this partnership, BBM stated that, “This is a significant step in the direction of BBM’s vision involving hospitality industry outreach in the Maldives — because tomorrows start today. Initially, we will set up a world-class model kitchen that will be suitable for masterclasses and hands-on training for students; and also for product demonstrations, masterclasses, and interaction with groups of customers.”
Speaking at the ceremony, representatives from both institutions emphasised their shared vision to promote excellence in education, innovation, and human capital development in the Maldivian hospitality sector. This partnership underscores BBM’s continued commitment to supporting education and industry growth, and MNU-FHTS’s mission to bridge the gap between academia and industry — nurturing the next generation of hospitality leaders in the Maldives.
Business
SATA 2025 announces partnerships; confirms Hotelier Maldives, Maldives Insider as Media Partners

Hotelier Maldives and Maldives Insider have been confirmed as official Media Partners of the South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) 2025. The announcement was made during a signing ceremony held at Hulhulé Island Hotel, Maldives, where SATA unveiled its distinguished partners for the 9th edition of the annual awards.
Now in its ninth year, SATA has become a key platform for recognising excellence in South Asia’s tourism and hospitality sector. The partnership with Hotelier Maldives and Maldives Insider will strengthen the awards’ regional visibility and ensure extensive coverage of the event across Maldives and beyond.

This year’s awards ceremony will take place from 19th to 20th September 2025 at Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Sri Lanka, bringing together industry leaders, stakeholders, and innovators from across South Asia.
In addition to the media partnership, SATA 2025 also announced its corporate partners. Honda Marine has been named the Platinum Partner, while The Hawks, Velana International Airport, and Allied Insurance Company of the Maldives join as Gold Partners. Renaatus Realty has been confirmed as the Silver Partner, and Hulhulé Island Hotel continues as the official Hospitality Partner in the Maldives.

Speaking at the ceremony, SATA organisers noted that the strong lineup of partners reflects the growing importance of collaboration within the tourism and hospitality industry. With the support of its partners, SATA 2025 aims not only to celebrate outstanding achievements but also to foster long-term cooperation and sustainable growth in the region’s tourism sector.
The awards are endorsed by leading national tourism bodies and associations across South Asia, including the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Nepal Tourism Board, Visit Maldives Corporation Limited, and several travel and hotel associations across the region.

This year’s evaluation process was conducted by a panel of nine jury members representing different countries, including tourism leaders from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Spain, and the Maldives.
Through partnerships with media outlets such as Hotelier Maldives and Maldives Insider, SATA 2025 will ensure broad engagement across key markets, strengthening its position as one of South Asia’s most prestigious hospitality and travel award platforms.
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