The Maldives has won the 'World's Leading Destination' award at the World Travel Awards WTA 2020.
WTA unveiled the 2020 winners of its World categories today and said that the island nation's win at the awards cemented its reputation as the definitive secluded sanctuary.
This is the first time the Maldives won this award at the WTA, the global initiative to recognize and reward excellence in travel and tourism.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih expressed his happiness after the win and congratulated the entire tourism industry for an incredible achievement.
In a tweet, he said that despite COVID-19, the award is the result of the hard work of the entire tourism industry to make the Maldives safe and welcoming to visitors.
The COVID-19 pandemic had vastly devastated the booming Tourism industry after the country was forced to close its borders earlier this year to avert the global pandemic.
But months after battling the pandemic the country reopened its doors in mid-July and has been enjoying a steady stream of tourists eager to taste its sun-kissed beaches and crystal clear waters.
WTA was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.
Today, the WTA brand is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.
Each year, WTA covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognize and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.
WTA 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.
