Maldives has been crowned the winner of Best Honeymoon Destination in the prestigious Luxury Lifestyle Magazine Readers’ Travel Awards 2018.

Conquering impressive competition from scores of romantic honeymoon destinations from across the globe to take the coveted title, the luxurious and romantic Maldives won over readers of the magazine to become the first-ever winner of the accolade.

“The Maldives is well known amongst UK travellers for being one of the world’s most desirable honeymoon destinations, so we are delighted to have been recognised in the Luxury Lifestyle Magazine awards,” tourism minister Moosa Zameer was quoted as saying, in a statement issued by Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).

“With most resorts in the Maldives located on their own individual islands, honeymoons in the Maldives are exclusive and secluded and with several new resorts opening during the next year, visitors will have even more choice.”

The awards, run by Luxury Lifestyle Magazine in partnership with Salcombe Gin, saw thousands of readers clamouring to nominate their picks of some of the industry’s most astonishing travel destinations and show-stopping hotels, across a variety of travel related categories. Designed to reward the travel industry elite for excellence in a number of categories, winners were eventually selected by an expert panel of judges.

UK is one of the most important source markets for Maldives tourism.

Official figures show that arrivals from Britain increased by 2.1 percent in 2017 to reach 103,977 from 101,843 the previous year. That growth has gained momentum in 2018, as 51,076 Brits visited the Maldives in the first five months of the year — an 11.9 percent increase over the 45,656 in the same period last year.

Maldives has won several global and regional accolades for being amongst the romantic destinations in the world. Surveys and studies analysing travel trends have also shown that a healthy majority of travellers that choose the Maldives are honeymooners.

Most recently, the Maldives was named amongst the most honeymoon-worthy destinations in the world for a second year in the annual Brides Honeymoon Awards.

Photo: Mountain Leon