MIB to Host Guest House Symposium and Inaugural Guest House Awards Next Thursday

Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB) has announced that preparations are underway for the third edition of the MIB Guest House Symposium 2026 and the newly introduced first MIB Guest House Awards. Both events will be held next Thursday at Nasandhura Palace, Basel. The theme of this year's symposium is "Beyond the Stay: Building the Guest House of Tomorrow." The gathering will bring together guest house owners and operators in the Maldives, leading figures in the tourism industry, and key stakeholders to exchange ideas, explore new opportunities, and discuss the future of the guest house sector in a broad-ranging forum. The symposium, which MIB holds every year, is an important opportunity to discuss challenges facing the industry, share practical experiences, and find ways to increase the competitiveness and sustainability of guest houses across the islands. This year's keynote address will be delivered by international speaker, online business strategist and author Kiruba Shankar. He has delivered more than 700 speeches in 24 countries, and is an experienced figure in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, online reputation management, and business development. In his keynote, he will focus on ways guest house operators can expand their businesses using creative approaches in a rapidly evolving digital tourism environment. The symposium will also feature a special panel discussion focused on important information related to the future of the industry. The symposium will also introduce the "MIB Guest House Awards 2026," being held in the Maldives for the first time. This is a new award initiated by MIB as part of its efforts to recognise and appreciate the progress of the Maldives' guest house industry and outstanding services. The awards are set to be given to guest houses and individuals as well as to islands. The awards will recognise excellence in hospitality service, creative work, authentic Maldivian experiences, sustainability, and work done for social benefit. MIB said the main objective of the award is to encourage raising service standards, promoting sustainable tourism practices, and appreciating parties that bring revolutionary changes to the industry's progress. To ensure fairness of the award, Crow Maldives has been appointed as an independent partner to evaluate the awards. According to MIB, the symposium and awards are being held together to create an environment for sharing information and experience, while appreciating parties working to advance guest house tourism in the Maldives.