Deadline Date: August 31, 2026
The MIB Guesthouse Awards celebrate excellence in the Maldives’ guesthouse sector, recognising outstanding guesthouses, individuals and island communities that drive innovation, promote sustainability and deliver exceptional guest experiences.
The awards are presented across three categories: Guesthouse, Individual, and Island. The Guesthouse Awards include Service Excellence & Hospitality Award, Authentic Maldivian Experience Award, Island Excursions & Experiences Award, Culinary Experience Award, Eco-Friendly Award, Community Impact Award, Digital Presence Award, and Iconic Marine & Dive Experience Award.
The Individual Awards include Talent & Culture Champion Award, Guest Experience Champion Award, and Outstanding Dive Master Award. The Island Award recognizes the Guesthouse Tourism Champion Island. The competition is divided into two tiers: Tier 1 for boutique and small guesthouses with up to 10 rooms, and Tier 2 for larger guesthouses and establishments with 11 rooms or more.
A total of 12 awards will be presented across the three categories. The awards celebrate excellence in hospitality, authentic cultural experiences, excursions, dining, sustainability, community contribution, digital marketing, marine tourism, people development, guest service, diving, and island-wide tourism initiatives.
To be eligible under the Guesthouse category, applicants must be legally registered under the Maldives Companies Act, hold a valid Guesthouse Operating License issued by the Ministry of Tourism, comply with statutory requirements including a Tax Clearance Certificate and Pension Act contribution obligations, have operated continuously for at least 12 months before the application date, and maintain an active listing on at least one online travel platform such as Booking.com, Airbnb, Agoda, or TripAdvisor.
For the Individual category, applicants must be Maldivian nationals and must not have any actual or perceived conflict of interest with MIB or Crowe Maldives, supported by a formal declaration. For the Island category, applicants must provide evidence of ongoing island-level tourism promotion initiatives and demonstrate a minimum combined accommodation capacity of 50 guesthouse rooms operating on the island at the time of application.
For more information, visit MIB.
