The Maldives has won the “Best Long-Haul Destination of the Year” title in the UK’s Food and Travel Magazine Reader Awards 2022.
The readers’ award was held at London’s Royal Automobile Club on January 19, 2023.
Maldives secured the title after competing against notable destinations such as Canada, Ecuador, Fiji, Japan, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, South Korea, and the Caribbean.
UK’s Food and Travel Magazine is one of the world’s leading gastronomic travel magazines with 7 international editions. Published by the Green Pea Publishing Ltd, the Food and Travel Magazine has been running for the past 25 years.
The magazine’s Food and Travel Magazine Readers Awards has been a highlight in the hospitality and travel industry since its inception. The awards celebrate and acknowledge the top-of-the-top in the tourism sector’s food and beverages industry with distinguished awards conferred in 23 categories including best restaurants, chefs, hotels, destinations, tour operators, cruise companies, and airlines.
The UK remains one of the top source markets in the Maldives. As of February 1, 2023, arrivals from the UK stood at 15,367; which is 8.6% of the total tourist arrivals to the country so far this year. In 2022, Maldives recorded a 185.6% increment in UK arrivals with an annual total of 179,309 tourists.
Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) held several marketing initiatives last year targeting the UK market. Notable events where the Maldives was showcased include the WTM London 2022, joint marketing campaigns with British Airways, and marketing and brand awareness campaigns with UK travel agents, tour operators, and media outlets. MMPRC also held tourism familiarization trips for UK media and publications as well.