Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/ Visit Maldives) is pleased to announce that the Maldives has been awarded 3rd place in the "Best Area Overseas Division" and 2nd place in the " Best Overseas Destination I Want to Visit for the First Time", in the "Marine Diving Awards 2023," as voted by divers nationwide in Japan.

"Marine Dive Fair " is Japan's largest comprehensive diving fair, which has been leading the diving scene in Japan for over 50 years. Marine Diving Fair is one of  Asia’s largest SCUBA diving exhibitions, and the Marine Diving Awards are determined by the online vote of divers across Japan. Rankings are determined after a six-month voting period. The 32nd edition of this prestigious award serves as a reference for experienced divers, as well as those who are considering starting diving in the future, and professionals in the diving industry.

The results announcement and top awards ceremony for the "Marine Diving Awards 2023" takes place in April, at the stage of the "Marine Diving Fair 2024" being held in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Destinations, instructors, and diving shops that ranked highly in all eight categories, including "Seas Worth Diving Into," "Seas to Visit in the Future," "Outstanding Professional Divers," and "Best Diving Shops," are honoured during this time.

The Maldives, which represents approximately 5% of the world's coral reefs, boasts hundreds of diving sites and is home to over 2,000 marine species. Moreover, it is one of the few regions in the world where you can observe manta rays and whale sharks year-round.

Japan is a significant market for the Maldives. Prior to the pandemic, Japan was the ninth top tourist market to the Maldives. From January to March this year, 9,333 Japanese tourists arrived in the Maldives, compared to 2,271 in the same period last year. This 310% increase in arrivals compared to last year signals a great boost to the Maldives tourism industry. Japan is currently ranked 15th in tourist arrivals.