Excitement is building for this year’s World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony as the travel industry’s leading awards programme makes its final preparations for the prestigious event.

The event will this year take place on Saturday, July 8th, in the Maldives.

The five star Sun Aqua Vilu Reef will welcome hospitality leaders from across the region, as they gather to see who among them has been voted the pinnacle of the travel industry.

The glittering event will kick off with a cocktail reception at 19:00 while the gala ceremony and dinner commences at 20:00.

It will, this year, be compered by Maldivian Idol hosts Moosa Waseem and Aminath Lamha Latheef - two of the most familiar faces on Maldivian television.

World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2017 will also allow attendees to get in touch with authentic Maldivian culture through traditional dances such as Bandiya and Maafathi.

The main act for the evening will be performed by the legendary Maldvian singer Unoosha.

Looking ahead to the Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2017, World Travel Awards president, Graham Cooke, said: “It will be our pleasure to welcome guests to Sun Aqua Vilu Reef.

“With just a two and half weeks to go until the event, we are putting the finishing touches in place and I look forward to greeting all our guests at a wonderful resort in a picturesque tourist hotspot.”

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

Evgenia Boyankova, group director of business development, Sun Siyam Resorts, added: “We love hosting world class events!

“It’s always been a thrill that brings a lot of fun and enjoyment to our guests.

“We are getting ready for World Travel Awards Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony with great excitement.

“Myself and the team look forward to welcoming the participants to our boutique resort, where Maldivian hospitality, culture and luxury is unrivalled.”

Each year, World Travel Awards covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.

World Travel Awards 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.