Sport Diver Magazine readers voted on their most prized diving destinations around the world and the Maltese Islands claimed '3rd best diving destination' at this year's Sport Diver Awards.

This prestigious accolade places the Maltese Islands as the most popular diving destination in the Mediterranean as voted for by thousands of Sport Diver Readers.

The highly anticipated event took place recently at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham. The Sport Diver Awards recognise the very best in the industry, from leading diving destinations to individual instructors to pioneering companies.

Other achievements on the night included Alan Whitehead from Divewise Malta, who was crowned 'Best PADI Instructor' while Maltaqua was voted runner up for the 'Best Dive Centre' award.

Mr Nicolas Sancho – MTA Manager M.I.C.E UK & Ireland said "We are delighted to be recognised as a leading dive destination year after year by Sport Diver 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."

Mr Paul Bugeja, MTA CEO, commented that "the UK market is a very important one for the Maltese Islands and despite other countries gaining market share, it is still our number one source market. For this reason, we continue promoting the Maltese Islands in the UK, and it is paying dividends. In fact, between January and August 2016, there was an increase of 6.2% in arrivals compared to the same period in 2015, which is equivalent to over 21,500 people."

Mr Bugeja continued by saying that "the diving industry is an important niche market, and we are proud to have some of the best rated seas around."

He concluded by thanking all those involved in making these achievements possible, and congratulated Mr Whitehead and Maltaqua for their accomplishments.

From left to right: Kyle Attard, Intern – Malta Tourism Office | Mark Evans, Editor – Sport Diver Magazine | Nicolas Sancho, Manager MICE UK & Ireland – Malta Tourism Office. Photo by: Jason Brown @ BARDO Creative and Sport Diver Magazine

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