(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles has been named one of the top five wedding destinations globally at the WeddingSutra Honeymoon Awards 2018.

Popular for its turquoise-coloured waters and powdered white beaches, Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, came out in the top five alongside Fiji, Japan, Portugal and Queensland of Australia.

“It is always an honour for us to see the destination being recognised on such leading platforms. The features of the different islands surely add in making the romantic effect in extending the fairy-tale effect for the newlywed couple,” said Shirin Francis, the chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board.

WeddingSutra is India’s leading bridal media brand targeting engaged couples. It gives detailed wedding guidance, specific to individual preferences to a target audience of smart, spirited and sophisticated newly-weds-to-be.

According to the WeddingSutra’s website, the awards have been designed to zoom in on swoony, scintillating honeymoon destinations the world over. The awards take a close look at destinations from all over the world and the nine judges spent hours going through the hundreds of entries received to finally come up with the list of winners.

Aimed at identifying the most romantic, hot spots in the world, the WeddingSutra Honeymoon Awards was created in 2000 by Parthip Thyagarajan and Madhulika Sachdeva Mathur.

Whether a couple is looking for a honeymoon destination or just planning a romantic travel, WeddingSutra has a wide range of activities and venues that the couple can add to their bucket list.

With naturally romantic and unspoilt surroundings and year-round sunshine, Seychelles offers the perfect seductive location for a truly memorable wedding.

Earlier this year, the island nation was voted among the top 20 Most Beautiful Wedding Destinations in the World. The best wedding award 2017 was held in Beijing and was organised with National Humanity History and Cosmo Brides Magazines.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, there were 2,367 visitor weddings in Seychelles last year, a number that has been rising steadily. In 2016 -- 1,695 couples said “I do” in Seychelles. Most of the weddings are held in the three most populated islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.