AitkenSpence Resorts first to achieve ISO 22000: 2005 Standard in the Maldives

Four of the AitkenSpence Resorts (Adaaran) have become the first resorts in the Maldives to achieve the prestigious ISO 22000/HACCP standard, according to its General Manager Operations Nimal Sangakkara.

This was announced at a gathering held at the ADAARAN Resort of Hudhuran Fushi last week which was attended by Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Dr. Mahmoodh Shaughee, Managing Director of internationally Accredited certification body SGS Mr. Claude Lanohe, Vice Chairman of ADAARAN Resorts Rajan Brito and CEO of ADAARAN Resorts, Chethya Perera.

The ISO 22000/HACCP (Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points) standard was received by Adaaran club Rannalhi, Adaaran Select Meedhupparu, Adaaran ayurveda village and Adaaran prestige Water Villas. “Such an achievement demonstrates the superior level of service of the resorts in the Maldives which is at par with international standards in rest of the world.

Resorts in the Maldives often receive various international awards for their excellent service; but it’s the first time that a resort in the Maldives has received an award in relation to food safety and food quality standards,” Sangakkara said in a press release.Earlier this year, ADAARAN Resorts inaugurated its Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Studies Campus at ADAARAN Centre for Hospitality Studies in Hudhuran Fushi which fully sponsors all the costs of students who study at their campus.

Russian Billionaire Mikhail Prohorov getting married in the Maldives

Russian oligarch Mikhail Prohorov has decided to get married because he has betted he will become a husband before his 42nf birthday.

The conjugal life of the couple will last just five days. The billionaire will have to cough up USD 10 M for the ceremony, which will be held on his birthday, May 3.

The luxurious wedding will be at the Maldives Islands. 700 guests were invited with the sole condition to be couples, not single people. The already married ones will be accommodated on the Paradise Island and the unmarried couples will be sent to Karumbe Island.

Five days after the date of the matrimony, the marriage will be dissolved. The four charter flights that will bring Prohorov's guests to the spot will cost him USD 1 M and the rent for the two islands - another USD 2 M per day.

The lucky bride's name is still unknown, but whoever she is she will have not a single chance to try and take away half of Prohorov's wealth after the divorce as he has secured himself with a pre-nup contract.

Source: The Sofia Weekely

Hilton Maldives wins the "Best Hotel in the World"

The Maldives, 26 February 2007 – Hot on the heels of winning the "Best Hotel in the World" award by www.tripadvisor.com this January, the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa has just been voted the "Best Honeymoon Hideaway in the World" by Brides Magazine in the UK in their March 2007 issue. Similarly, the UK¡¯s most influential travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveller, has also included the six-star resort in their annual Gold List: "Best Hotels in the World – Best for location" (January 2007 issue) and in the "Best Spa in Africa, Middle East and Indian Ocean" (March 2007) summary of best spas in the world.

"Since our re-opening after refurbishment in June 2005, we have won 17 different awards – including winning 'Best Hotel in the World' twice. That's an average of one award every six weeks," says the resort's General Manager, Carsten Schieck. "These awards reflect guest confidence in our product and are an essential part in establishing the Maldives as a destination of choice."

It seems as though the whole world is talking about the Hilton Maldives. In just the last two months alone the resort has received positive press coverage in Condé Nast Traveller, Harper's Bazaar, Tatler, the Luxury Travel Magazine, The Daily Telegraph newspaper, Die Welt newspaper, Paris Match and the New York Times amongst others.

The six-star Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa is a stunning, romantic resort offering sophisticated barefoot luxury on two tropical islands. Awards include "Best Hotel in the World 2005" by the Sunday Times, "Leading Resort in the Indian Ocean 2006" by the World Travel Awards and "Most Exclusive Hotel in the World 2006" by VIP Traveller Magazine. Sited in a picturesque corner of the Maldives, it offers a sybaritic combination of three distinct resort experiences, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and lagoon. The resort is home to the world¡¯s only all-glass undersea restaurant and the Maldives¡¯ only destination spa.

Source: visitmaldives.com

2nd Maldives Mr. & Miss Beauty Contest from Korea!

The 2nd Maldives Mr. & Miss Beauty Contest, sponsered by Maldives National Administration of Tourism and superintended by Chundo Travel Co. and "XTM," starts recruiting candidates in South Korea on Feb. 15, 2007. Main contest will be held in Maldives on May 8-22, 2007.

The Maldives Mr. & Miss Beauty Contest is an anual event to choose nongovernmental ambassadors who will promote the breath-taking tourist attractions of Maldives which started in 2006. All participants should be unmarried, be graduated from highschool, at the age 18 to 32, and have citizenship of Republic of Korea. The Procedure of the 2nd Maldives Mr. & Miss Beauty Contest will be:

1st: On-line recruiting2nd: The main contest (5Mr. & 10Miss Maldives nominees will be choosen)3rd: Final contest (It will be proceeded at local resort in Maldives with the attendance of the minister of Tourism in Maldives, the chief of Tourist Bureau and the related parties of the Maldives government)

The total prizes of this contest is up to 4400,000 won.Also the final 15 contestants will tour Male (the capital island of Maldives) and the top 10 luxurious resorts and experience significant culture and beautiful tourist attraction of Maldives.

Especially The main contestant of this contest will have a chance to participate in producing TV programs of XTM (www.xtmtv.com).

Source: The Seoul Time.

Record Number Of Tourists In January

A record number of tourists visited the Maldives last month, statistics show. The Tourism Ministry said 64,570 tourists arrived in Maldives in January, compared with 58,332 at the same time last year. The previous record month was March 2004, pre-tsunami, when 63,855 visited.

“This is a great start,” Director General of the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) Dr. Abdulla Mausoom told Haveeru. “We expect the arrivals to increase during the rest of the year too. The new resorts that haven’t begun operations yet will soon begin their operations.”

The record number of visitors shows that the Maldives has bounced back fast from the effects of the December 2004 tsunami and is now expanding beyond its capacity at that time. The figures also suggest that the targeted resort boycott by the NGO Friends of Maldives has had little direct effect on the tourism industry in the Maldives.

The Tourism Ministry says 77 resorts and 9 hotels were in operation offering a total of 17,139 beds. On average each tourist spent 7.9 days in Maldives and resorts and hotels experienced 94.8 percent occupancy rates. Currently there are 89 resorts and 9 hotels allowed to operate in the Maldives with a combined bed capacity of 18,527.

Source: Minvan News.