MACL to act as main sponsor of this year

Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has been appointed as the main sponsor of the Maldives Travel Awards, given by Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO).

The first Maldives Travel Awards was held last year.

A special ceremony was held this evening at Mookai Hotel, for High Rise, the organiser of the award ceremony, to sign the agreement with the sponsors and event partners.

MACL will represent Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) at the award ceremony.

Co-sponsors of the Maldives Travel Awards are State Trading Organisation (STO), Allied Insurance Company, and The Hawks Private Limited.

The official technology partner is Semicolon; the official city hotel partner is Kam Hotel and Mookai Hotel; the official host is Olhuveli Beach and Spa Resort; associated partners and supporting sponsors are Vienco, Sundrella, White Shade and Astrabon; beverage partners are Coca Cola’s Coca Cola and Bonaqua; media partners are Haveeru, Dot Net MV and Visiting Maldives; and sound and lighting partner is Music World.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Mohamed Maleeh Jamal said that such efforts by private groups to promote Maldivian tourism are greatly welcomed and encouraged by the government.

“As you would know, tourism is the most important industry in the Maldives. We’ve always talked about opening doors to various groups to participate in this industry and promoting this,” he said.

Maleeh said that sponsors, due to their generous contributions, would gain great publicity through their participation in this award event.

MATATO said that winners will be decided by an online voting system in combination with the votes of a panel of judges.

This year’s voting system will however be slightly different from last year’s; online votes will account for 40 percent of the results this year as opposed to 50 percent last year. The remaining 60 percent will be decided by the judges. MATATO also said that changes will be made to the categories.

MATATO has informed that the Maldives Travel Awards 2013 will be held during the first week of December 2013. Last year, the title sponsor of the event, held in Paradise Island Hotel, was GMR.