The Maldives has been voted third in the “Best Area Overseas Division” and second in the “Best Overseas Destination I Want to Visit for the First Time” in the “Marine Diving Awards 2023,” according to Japanese divers nationwide. This news is with great pleasure on the part of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives).
The largest and most comprehensive diving expo in Japan, “Marine Dive Fair,” has been setting the standard for the country’s diving community for more than 50 years. One of the biggest SCUBA diving shows in Asia is called Marine Diving Fair, and online voting by Japanese divers determines the Marine Diving Awards. Following a six-month period of voting, rankings are decided. Professionals in the diving sector as well as seasoned divers and those thinking about taking up diving in the future can refer to the 32nd edition of this esteemed prize.
April sees the “Marine Diving Awards 2023” results announcement and top honors ceremony conducted at the “Marine Diving Fair 2024” stage in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. During this period, awards are given to locations, guides, and dive shops who placed highly in each of the eight categories: “Seas Worth Diving Into,” “Seas to Visit in the Future,” “Outstanding Professional Divers,” and “Best Diving Shops.”
With hundreds of diving locations and more than two thousand marine species, the Maldives makes up around 5% of the world’s coral reefs. It is also one of the few places in the world where you can see whale sharks and manta rays all year round.
One of the Maldives’ biggest markets is Japan. Japan was eighth among the top tourist destinations in the Maldives prior to the outbreak. 9,333 Japanese visitors vacationed in the Maldives between January and March of this year, up from 2,271 during the same period previous year. The Maldives tourist sector is expected to benefit greatly from this 310% increase in arrivals over the previous year. Japan is presently 15th in the world for visitor arrivals.
