Alia Investments has signed up as a Gold Partner of Maldives Travel Awards 2019.

At a ceremony held at Alia Building Wednesday afternoon, Abdulla Suood, President of event organiser Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), and Alia General Manager Ahmed Saeed signed the partnership agreement.

This signing marks the third consecutive year for the collaboration between MATATO and Alia for the Maldives Travel Awards. This year, Alia will serve as an official partner of Maldives Travel Awards Guesthouse Edition.

“We are once again delighted to have Alia Investments on board with us for the Awards. The support and commitment they bring in will further strengthen this platform,” MATATO President Suood was quoted in a statement, as saying.

“Alia is one of the leading business supporting and catering to the travel industry, and we believe that it’s a good reflection on the awards that we are able to retain key partnerships going forward with the awards. Alia Investments once again will be the main commercial partner for the Guesthouse Edition.”

Maldives Travel Awards is now open for nomination in 45 categories featured across three editions that collectively represent resorts, guesthouses, hotels, liveaboards and personalities.

Travel businesses delivering outstanding performance in the industry are encouraged to submit applications for the awards before August 15. Nominations are registered through online platform on the Maldives Travel Awards’ official website.

The exclusive Guesthouse Edition features 14 categories, including special accolades for leading guesthouse islands. MATATO also gives special recognitions in three categories. Winners in the Guesthouse Edition are selected based on their ratings on TripAdvisor and popular vote collected through online and SMS voting platforms.

Winners of the Guesthouse Edition will be announced in September at a special function to be hosted in Thoddoo island on Alif Alif atoll.

In 2017, the Guesthouse Edition received more than 175 nominations and registered a record number of 176,000 votes.

The Gala Edition, which is exclusive for resorts, hotels, liveaboards and airlines, features 25 categories.

This year, Maldives Travel Awards will adopt a new format to evaluate and judge the nominees in the Gala Edition. Sixty per cent of the score will be provided by a panel of expert travel professionals selected from leading local and international travel institutions that will evaluate the nominees based on presentations given by them. Popular vote will account for the remaining 40 per cent of the score.

Winners of the Gala Edition will be honoured at the annual Maldives Travel Awards Gala, dubbed as the premier travel event of the year.

In 2017, more than 75 companies registered 278 nomination in the Gala Edition.

Initiated in 2012 MATATO, Maldives Travel Awards celebrate and honour the best tourism and hospitality products in the Maldives whilst fostering relationships with suppliers and local travel agents. From 20 categories in 2012, the awards have now expanded into three editions totalling 55 categories.

MATATO hosts three editions: the People’s Edition, which recognises successful pioneers and long serving individuals in the tourism industry, a Guesthouse Edition, which celebrates the outstanding performance of the up and coming guesthouse sector, and the Grand Gala, which is exclusive for winners in the categories for resorts, airlines and liveaboards.