Maldives Islamic Bank Announces Eligibility Criteria for MIB Guesthouse Awards 2026, With Applications Opening 15 July

Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB) has announced the eligibility requirements for the MIB Guesthouse Awards 2026, inviting guesthouses, tourism professionals, and island communities across the Maldives to begin preparing their applications for one of the most significant national recognition programmes in the country's guesthouse tourism sector.

Organised by Maldives Islamic Bank and independently conducted by Crowe Maldives Advisory, the MIB Guesthouse Awards are designed to recognise excellence, inspire higher standards, and celebrate the achievements of those driving the growth of the Maldives' rapidly expanding guesthouse industry. Applications will officially open on 15th July 2026.

A Two-Tier System for Fair Competition

To ensure fair competition among establishments of varying sizes, guesthouses will compete in two separate tiers based on declared room capacity. Tier 1 is open to guesthouses with up to 10 rooms, while Tier 2 is for guesthouses with 11 rooms and above, ensuring that smaller establishments are not competing against significantly larger operations.

Guesthouse Category Eligibility

Guesthouses applying for the awards must meet the following criteria:

• Be legally registered under the Maldives Companies Act
• Hold a valid guesthouse operating licence issued by the Ministry of Tourism
• Comply with all applicable health, safety, and environmental regulations
• Provide evidence of statutory compliance, including a valid tax clearance certificate, pension act contribution compliance, and Employment Act supporting documents
• Have completed a minimum of 12 months of continuous operations and remain actively operational at the time of application
• Maintain an active listing on at least one recognised online travel platform, including Booking.com, Airbnb, Agoda, or TripAdvisor

Individual Category Eligibility

Applicants for the individual awards must:

• Be Maldivian nationals
• Declare that no actual or perceived conflict of interest exists with Maldives Islamic Bank or Crowe Maldives Advisory

Island Category Eligibility

Islands applying for the Guesthouse Tourism Champion Island Award must demonstrate:

• Ongoing initiatives to promote tourism at the island level
• A minimum operating capacity of 50 guesthouse rooms on the island at the time of application

Three Categories of Recognition

The MIB Guesthouse Awards 2026 recognises outstanding achievement across three categories, celebrating exceptional guesthouses, talented tourism professionals, and island communities that have made a meaningful contribution to the Maldivian tourism industry.

Further details on the application process and awards ceremony will be announced through MIB's official communication channels in due course. Eligible guesthouses, tourism professionals, and islands are encouraged to begin preparing their required documentation in advance to ensure a smooth and timely application process ahead of the 15th July 2026 opening.

The MIB Guesthouse Awards reaffirm the bank's commitment to supporting the sustainable development of the Maldives' tourism industry by recognising excellence, inspiring higher standards, and celebrating the dedicated individuals and businesses that continue to elevate the nation's thriving guesthouse sector.