The Maldives has taken the 2005's number one spot among top long haul holiday destinations in the world, according to Kuoni's Long Haul Report 2006. Maldives has taken the top position from Thailand which took 3rd position where Egypt took 2nd and Dubai 4th. Maldives is also Kuoni's number one Honeymoon Destination for 2004 and 2005.

“It is a great testament to the Maldives that they fought back from such a tough year and took back the number one spot….the secret to the return of Maldives ? The beaches and crystal clear waters that are out of this world. The service is consistently excellent, there is great choice of three, four and luxury five star resorts to suit everyone – and a constant drive to launch new and exciting products ranging from underwater spas and restaurants to desert island hideaways…” says Sue Biggs, the Managing Director of Kuoni UK.

The report also highlights the importance of the destination to be careful of pricing itself out of the market by focusing purely on five star deluxe properties, as there is high demand for good three and four star resorts, and how vital it is to maintain extra capacity in the critical middle segment of the market in order to keep volumes up.

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