Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB) has announced the eligibility requirements for the MIB Guesthouse Awards 2026, inviting eligible guesthouses, tourism professionals, and islands across the Maldives to prepare their applications for the national awards program.
Organized by Maldives Islamic Bank and independently conducted by Crowe Maldives Advisory, the MIB Guesthouse Awards aim to recognize excellence and encourage higher standards across the country's rapidly growing guesthouse tourism sector.
To ensure transparency and fairness, MIB has established clear eligibility criteria for each award category.
Guesthouses will compete in two separate tiers based on their declared room capacity, ensuring fair competition among establishments of different sizes. Tier 1 is open to guesthouses with up to 10 rooms, while Tier 2 is for guesthouses with 11 rooms and above.
Guesthouse Category
Guesthouses applying for the awards must:
Legally be registered under the Maldives Companies Act.
Hold a valid guesthouse operating license 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 recognized online travel platform, including Booking.com, Airbnb, Agoda, or TripAdvisor.
Individual Category
Applicants for the individual awards must:
Island Category
Islands applying for the Guesthouse Tourism Champion Island Award must demonstrate:
The MIB Guesthouse Awards 2026 features 20 awards across three categories, recognizing outstanding guesthouses, tourism professionals, and islands that contribute to strengthening the Maldivian tourism industry. Guesthouses will compete in two separate tiers based on their accommodation capacity, ensuring fair competition among establishments of different sizes.
Applications for the MIB Guesthouse Awards 2026 will officially open on 15 July 2026. Further details regarding the application process, and the awards ceremony will be announced through MIB's official communication channels. Eligible guesthouses, tourism professionals, and islands are encouraged to prepare the required documentation in advance to ensure a smooth application process.
The MIB Guesthouse Awards reaffirm the Bank's commitment to supporting the sustainable development of the Maldives' tourism industry by recognizing excellence, inspiring higher standards, and celebrating the achievements of those who contribute to the continued growth of the nation's thriving guesthouse sector.
