Madeira Consolidates its position as ‘World’s Leading Island Destination’

The distinction from the World Travel Awards was received Friday 1st December 2023, for the 9th time in a row.

Madeira has once again won the World Travel Awards’ prize for ‘World’s Leading Island Destination’ for the 9th consecutive time. The announcement was made late this afternoon at the iconic Burj Al Arab in Dubai, at the gala for the 30th edition of the World Travel Awards.

The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Culture and President of the Madeira Promotion Bureau, Eduardo Jesus, emphasized that the prize, which has been awarded to Madeira since 2015, is “the consolidation of the recognition of the work that has been carried out by the entire sector in order to position the Region as a unique destination, which, throughout the 12 months of the year, captivates visitors from all over the world, due to its unique characteristics in terms of Nature, Culture, diverse experiences and Identity”.

Taking the opportunity to congratulate all the other award winners at the gala that took place this evening in Dubai, Eduardo Jesus recalled that this award proves that the choices made regarding Madeira’s positioning in recent years, in terms of promotion and communication, as well as certifying the destination’s sustainability, have been the right ones. “This award belongs to Madeira, to all those who work in the tourism sector on a daily basis and, above all, to all those who choose us and visit us, often repeatedly, because they feel at home here. It is this emotional connection that sets us apart from other destinations in the world,” he emphasises.

In the running with Madeira for this award were 19 other destinations from all continents: Bali (Indonesia), Barbados, Cook Islands, Crete (Greece), Fiji (Pacific Ocean), Philippines, Hawaii (USA), Turks and Caicos Islands (Caribbean), Jamaica (Caribbean), Little Corn Island (Nicaragua), Maldives (Indian Ocean), Mallorca (Spain), Mauritius (Indian Ocean), St Lucia (Caribbean), Sardinia (Italy), Seychelles (Indian Ocean), Singapore, Tahiti and Zanzibar (Tanzania).

It is important to remember that on 29th September, the region won the award for Europe’s Leading Island Destination at the European edition of the World Travel Awards.

The World Travel Awards, created in 1993, are awarded annually to recognise, reward and celebrate excellence in all the key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. They are one of the main awards in the different short-listed sectors and are awarded after online voting by the public and tourism professionals.