For the second year in a row, the Maltese Islands have been chosen as the '2nd best diving destination' at the prestigious Diver Awards. This accolade places the Maltese Islands as the most popular diving destination in Europe as voted for by thousands of Diver Magazine readers and visitors.

The highly anticipated event took place during the Dive Show in Birmingham, which was attended by the Malta Tourism Authority on 21 and 22 October. The Diver Awards recognise the very best in the industry, from leading diving destinations to individual instructors to pioneering companies.

The award for best diving destination had a strong list of contenders battling it out for the top 3 places, Egypt came out on top followed by Malta in second place, and the Maldives who came in at third place. This shows that the Maltese Islands are truly competing with the best available and holding its own, surpassing many of the sought after diving destinations.

Another local achievement awarded on the night was for Maltaqua, who were voted runner up for the 'Best Dive Centre' award.

Mr Nicolas Sancho - MTA Senior Manager M.I.C.E UK & Ireland said "We are delighted to once again be recognised as a leading dive destination year after year by Diver Magazine readers. We have a thriving diving community who care for the underwater world, achieving awards like these are a reflection of the valuable relationships between the diving community. It motivates us to continuously work together to ensure Malta, Gozo and Comino attract visitors from around the world".

MTA CEO Paul Bugeja said "the UK market is a very important one for the Maltese Islands and is still our number one source market, though other markets are growing in importance. For this reason, we continue promoting the Maltese Islands in the UK, and it continues to reap its rewards". Mr Bugeja continued by saying that the diving industry is an important niche market and that in 2016, over 100,000 visitors came to the Maltese Islands with their main motivation being to scuba dive, while another estimated 50,000 chose to scuba dive while here. Mr Bugeja concluded by thanking all those involved in making these achievements possible, and congratulated Maltaqua for their accomplishments