Business
St. Regis, Constance Halaveli, Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, Anantara named Maldives best resorts

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Constance Halaveli, The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi and resorts run by Anantara have won prestigious titles at the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony for being the leading resorts in the Maldives.
The prestigious Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony took place at the five-star Sun Aqua Vilu Reef resort on Saturday, with hospitality leaders from across the region in attendance to discover who amongst them has been voted the pinnacle of the travel industry.
At the ceremony, The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi was named the Maldives’ Leading Resort, while The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort won the Maldives’ Leading Luxury Island Resort award and Constance Halaveli the Maldives’ Leading Luxury Resort award. Velaa Private Island was named the Maldives’ Leading Luxury Villa Resort.

Evgenia Boyankova, Group Director of Business Development at The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Maldives, receives the Maldives’ Leading Resort award at the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held at the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef resort in Maldives on Saturday. PHOTO/ WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS

General Manager at Velaa Private Island Michal Smejc (L-2) receives the Maldives’ Leading Luxury Villa Resort award at the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held at the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef resort in Maldives on Saturday. PHOTO/ WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS
Resorts run in the Maldives under the Anantara shined at the Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony, with Anantara Kihavah Maldives winning the Maldives’ Leading Villa Resort award, Anantara Dhigu Resort Maldives winning the Maldives’ Leading Water Villa Resort award and Naladhu Maldives winning the Maldives’ Leading Boutique Resort award.
Lily Beach Resort and Spa was named the Maldives’ Leading All-Inclusive Resort, while Kanuhura Maldives won Maldives’ Leading Family Resort award and aaaVeee Nature’s Paradise the Maldives’ Leading Green Resort award.

Sarah Forster, Sales Manager at Lily Beach Resort and Spa, receives the Maldives’ Leading All-Inclusive Resort award at the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held at the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef resort in Maldives on Saturday. PHOTO/ WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS

Officials from aaaVeee Nature’s Paradise receive the Maldives’ Leading Green Resort award at the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held at the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef resort in Maldives on Saturday. PHOTO/ WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS

Officials from Kanuhura Maldives receive the Maldives’ Leading Family Resort award at the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held at the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef resort in Maldives on Saturday. PHOTO/ WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS
The Royal Island Suite at JA Manafaru won the award for the Maldives’ Leading Hotel Suite, and the Sunset Water Villa at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island won the Maldives’ Leading Luxury Hotel Villa award.

Zainab Shihab, Marketing and Communications Coordinator Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort, receives the Maldives’ Leading Luxury Hotel Villa award at the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held at the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef resort in Maldives on Saturday. PHOTO/ WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS

Food and Beverage Manager Kyra Bommelje (L-2) and General Manager William Harley-Fleming (R-2) at JA Manafaru receive the Maldives’ Leading Hotel Suite award at the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held at the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef resort in Maldives on Saturday. PHOTO/ WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS
Meanwhile, Get Into Maldives Travels was named the Maldives’ Leading Luxury Tour Operator, while the award for the Maldives’ Leading Travel Agency went to Vermillion International Maldives.

Mohamed Mauroof, Managing Director at Get Into Maldives Travels, receives the Maldives’ Leading Luxury Tour Operator award at the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held at the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef resort in Maldives on Saturday. PHOTO/ WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS

Ahmed Musthaeen, General Manager at Vermillion International, receives the Maldives’ Leading Travel Agency award at the World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held at the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef resort in Maldives on Saturday. PHOTO/ WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS
The Maldives also won several prestigious destination titles at the Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony.
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.
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.
Business
BBM, Mamee Food Services partner to elevate Maldivian dining with Asian Cuisine Engagement Week

Bestbuy Maldives (BBM), a key supplier to the Maldives’ hospitality industry, in partnership with Mamee Food Services, has launched the Asian Cuisine Engagement Week. The programme, running from 29th June to 4th July 2025, is designed to introduce premium Asian sauces to the Maldives foodservice sector and upskill culinary professionals.
The official launch was held on Monday at BBM’s venue partner, the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies (FHTS) at The Maldives National University (MNU). FHTS continues to be a key collaborator with BBM on industry events and culinary development. The event was attended by over 40 chefs from leading hotels and restaurants in Malé. Representatives from Mamee Food Services travelled to the Maldives to lead the session, which included live product demonstrations and technical training.

The focus of the initiative is the introduction of Mamee’s premium Asian sauces, including the Daebak range, which features a variety of Korean and East Asian flavours. The programme aims to support chefs in incorporating these new products into their menus, fostering innovation within commercial kitchens.
AVS Subrahmanyam, Chief Operating Officer of Bestbuy Maldives, commented on the initiative, stating, “Our goal is to be a strategic partner for the culinary community in the Maldives. This collaboration with Mamee Food Services is a direct reflection of that commitment. By providing access to new products and facilitating hands-on training, we are investing in the skills of chefs and supporting the evolution of menu offerings across the country. This initiative aligns with our broader strategy to continuously elevate the culinary standards in the Maldives.”

He added, “We believe that introducing high-quality, authentic Asian flavours through our partnership with a globally recognised brand like Mamee will provide a new dimension to the dining experience for tourists and locals alike. This reinforces BBM’s role as a trusted partner for global F&B brands seeking to make a mark in the Maldivian market.”
Jennifer Chee, Director of Food Service at Mamee Food Service, expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “We are incredibly excited to partner with Bestbuy Maldives to bring Mamee’s authentic Asian flavours to the vibrant culinary scene of the Maldives. This engagement week is a fantastic opportunity to showcase how our premium sauces, particularly the Daebak range, can inspire creativity and elevate dishes in professional kitchens.”
“We believe that by working directly with chefs and providing hands-on training, we can truly empower them to explore new culinary possibilities and deliver exceptional dining experiences to their guests. We look forward to seeing the innovative ways Maldivian chefs will incorporate our products.”

Following the launch in Malé, a dedicated follow-up session will be held at OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi for resort-based chefs. This session will include participation from properties within the Atmosphere Core group, providing hands-on training focused on the scalable integration of Mamee products into commercial resort kitchens.


Throughout the week, the culinary team from BBM and Mamee will conduct on-site visits and tastings at selected restaurants in Malé, offering further technical support and guidance.
This joint initiative between BBM and Mamee Food Services is set to drive menu innovation and provide culinary professionals in the Maldives with the tools and skills needed to meet evolving consumer tastes.
Business
2025 sees Maldives reach 1 million tourist mark in record time

Maldives has welcomed its 1 millionth tourist of 2025 on 7th June 2025, the fastest that the country has achieved a million tourists in our nation’s history.
Kajal Singh, an Indian national, arrived in the Maldives today on IndiGo flight 6E 1131 at 12:55. She is visiting for her honeymoon at Bandos Maldives. This is her first trip to the Maldives.

Visit Maldives, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), hosted a special celebratory event at Velana International Airport to commemorate this remarkable achievement.
“This milestone fills us with immense pride, reflecting the successful culmination of our destination marketing initiatives that showcase the true essence of the Maldivian experience,” stated Minister for Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim. “Welcoming one million tourists with such unprecedented speed is a powerful indicator of our global appeal, and I extend my sincere appreciation to all the hardworking individuals across the tourism sector whose dedication made this achievement possible.”

In a gesture highlighting the nation’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the one millionth visitor, Kajal, was invited to participate in the “Five Million Trees Planting Program” initiated by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. Kajal planted a tree at Hulhulé as part of this nationwide effort to combat climate change, enhance biodiversity, and promote a greener Maldives for future generations.
“This achievement is a clear indicator that we are well on our way to attaining H.E President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s national tourist arrival target of 2.3 million for this year,” said CEO & MD of MMPRC Ibrahim Shiuree. “We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone with all our stakeholders, whose dedication and hard work are invaluable. Our commitment doesn’t end here; we are continually working to enhance the Maldives’ tourism industry and ensure the Sunny Side of Life remains a dream destination for everyone.”

The arrival of the 1 millionth tourist in 2025 marks a proud moment for Maldivian tourism, symbolizing the robust momentum generated by MMPRC’s strategic promotional efforts. Building on the resounding success of the recent Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, where the Maldives captivated the global travel trade community with its powerful and immersive showcase, this milestone highlights the effectiveness of our enhanced global visibility and affirmed key industry partnerships.
Complementing these efforts, the ongoing comprehensive Summer Campaign, with its multi-market strategy spanning Europe and key international markets, is actively driving increased visibility and stimulating early bookings for both the summer and upcoming winter seasons. MMPRC’s marketing initiatives such as high-impact campaigns, strategic partnerships, and targeted outreach are significantly enhancing the Maldives’ global brand, boosting booking confidence, and solidifying its position as a leading, year-round holiday destination.
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