Maldives on Friday won the World’s Leading Destination accolade at the World Travel Awards 2023, making it the fourth consecutive top title win for Maldives.

In addition to the World’s Leading Leading Destination Award, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) also won the World’s Leading Tourist Board award for the second year in a row.

The awards were presented at a gala held in Dubai Friday evening.

The Maldives successfully secured the title of the World’s Leading Destination in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The World’s Leading Destination title is the most distinguished in the annual programme, which itself is renowned as the most prestigious and comprehensive award in the global travel industry.

Soneva has been honored with the prestigious 2023 Terra Carta Seal by The Sustainable Markets Initiative. The award-winning resort brand, which has properties in the Maldives and Thailand, is built on the foundation that businesses must exist for a greater purpose than shareholder returns. Soneva recognises that luxury travel and the pursuit of rare experiences can co-exist with a deep care for the earth, the environment and its people, and continually strives to raise the benchmark for responsible tourism.

The Terra Carta Seal is awarded to companies that have demonstrated the success of a high-impact, large scale company-wide project, initiative or strategy which aligns with one or more of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s ten Terra Carta Articles. The Articles underpin the Terra Carta, the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s guiding mandate which provides a roadmap and framework to accelerate the transition to an ambitious and sustainable future, placing Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation.

The winners were selected by a panel of global experts from the environmental, business, political and philanthropic worlds. Designed by Sir Jony Ive, the Terra Carta Seal was launched in 2021 at COP26 by His Majesty King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales. Since its inception, the Sustainable Markets Initiative has awarded its coveted Seal to just 83 companies globally.

“The Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Terra Carta Seal recognises those companies which are taking great strides in delivering real-world outcomes to create a more positive future that we can all embrace. The calibre of the projects and initiatives being driven by these companies sets the standard for us all as we push forward to a more sustainable future.

Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO, Sustainable Markets Initiative, said: 

“The Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Terra Carta Seal recognises those companies which are taking great strides in delivering real-world outcomes. As we stand on the eve of COP28, public, private sector and philanthropic actors will come together at the inaugural Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum to bridge the gap between ambition and action.  It is examples exemplified by the 2023 Terra Carta Seal winners that are helping to inspire and lead the way.”

Recognised for its remarkable sustainability efforts, Soneva is the only hotel brand among a select group of large global organisations that received a 2023 Terra Carta Seal. Other companies who received the 2023 Terra Carta Seal include Airbus, Carbon Clean, CDPQ, DLA Piper, EY, Haier Smart Home, Hitachi, LanzaTech, Novartis, Orange, Ping An Bank, Pollination, ReNew, Robertson, Siemens Energy, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.

While there is currently no industry standard for environmental and social reporting, Soneva developed its own Total Impact Assessment (TIA) methodology in-house which includes measuring its Environmental Profit and Loss (EP&L) and improving year-on-year. By taking a ‘planetary boundaries’ view of its social and environmental impact, the TIA assesses the impact from sources over which Soneva has both direct and indirect control, including natural capital, human capital, social capital, economic capital and tax.

“Soneva is honoured to be awarded the prestigious 2023 Terra Carta Seal. We are dedicated to leading the way in responsible tourism and championing the transformative power of travel and tourism in global conservation efforts. Soneva resorts have been carbon neutral since 2012. We recently invested USD 9 million in 4.5MWp solar PV and 4.5MWh of battery storage at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani that will take us to 50% of electricity from renewable energy. 

“We also have a mandatory 2% environmental levy on all stays. The proceeds go to the non-profit Soneva Foundation, which helps offset both direct and indirect carbon emissions from our resort activities as well as guest flights, while also supporting impactful global projects such as forest restoration efforts in Mozambique and Thailand, coral restoration in the Maldives, reintroducing near-extinct hornbills to Thailand’s Koh Kood island, distributing fuel-efficient cook stoves in Myanmar and more,” said Arnfinn Oines, Social & Environmental Conscience, Soneva.

Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa has been awarded the ‘Unrivaled Luxury Leader’ by The Leading Hotels of the World. The esteemed accolade is a testament to the resort’s unwavering dedication to delivering exceptional guest experiences marked by lavishness and outstanding service quality. Recognizing not only the resort’s operational excellence but also its elevated standards, this distinction solidifies Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa as a premier destination in the idyllic Raa Atoll, offering an unmatched retreat in the Maldives.

Simone Scarapicchia, the Chief Commercial Officer of The Emerald Collection, graciously accepted the award at the 2023 Annual Convention. During the event, Scarapicchia expressed profound pride in the achievement, attributing it to the collective efforts of key figures within the organization.

“We are immensely proud to receive this prestigious recognition, which is a testament to the exceptional work undertaken by my father, Aldo Scarapicchia (Managing Director), General Manager Srikanth Devarapalli (Area General Manager), and the entire dedicated team at Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa since its inauguration in 2019,” remarked Simone Scarapicchia.