Maldives to Host World Creator Summit and Awards in September 2026

The Maldives will host the World Creator Summit and World Creator Awards in September 2026, marking the first edition of what Visit Maldives Corporation is positioning as a permanent fixture in the global events calendar. The six-day programme runs from 20 to 25 September, powered by Creatoll, Visit Maldives' dedicated creator platform.

The event was developed by VMC in partnership with the organisers of the World Travel Awards. The agreement was signed in Malé on 2 April 2026, with VMC CEO and Managing Director Ibrahim Shiuree and Justin Cooke, Executive Vice President of the World Travel Awards, formalising the collaboration at an official ceremony.

The 2026 founding edition will be deliberately small. Around 50 participants will be invited, including creators, platforms, publishers, tourism brands and destination leaders. The focus is on quality rather than volume, with themes expected to cover wellness, sustainability, luxury, culture and innovation in tourism.

Shiuree described the initiative as a reflection of where destination marketing is heading. Creators, he said, are now central to how places are discovered, and the Summit gives the Maldives a platform at the centre of that conversation.

The programme has two main components. The World Creator Summit is an invitation-only forum where creators, platforms and tourism stakeholders discuss the future of destination storytelling. The World Creator Awards recognises individuals and organisations doing standout work in creator-led travel content. Creatoll serves as the platform connecting creators with tourism partners and brands throughout the process.

Justin Cooke said the ambition is for the Summit to be a serious industry event, not a social media gathering, with a focus on content credibility, cultural relevance and long-term commercial value for both creators and destinations.

For the Maldives, the event fits a broader pattern. The country has won the World's Leading Destination title at the World Travel Awards for six consecutive years from 2020 to 2025. The World Creator Summit adds another layer to that positioning, signalling that the Maldives is interested in shaping how destinations are marketed globally, not just benefiting from it.