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Maldives China Tourism Association announces first roadshow in China to boost tourism

The Maldives China Tourism Association (MVCTA), a non-governmental and non-profit organization dedicated to promoting tourism in the Maldives to the Chinese market, has announced its upcoming...

Maldives says hopeful to welcome 100k Chinese tourists in 2023

“The country's largest tourist market has stayed away for three years and today they have officially returned. I'm really excited", Minister Mausoom.

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The number of Chinese tourists arriving, after a major hiatus of nearly three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic is expected to cross 100,000 this year, tourism minister Dr Abdulla Mausoom said Wednesday.

A Beijing Capital Airlines flight carrying Chinese tourists landed at Velana International Airport (VIA) at around 12.45pm Wednesday. 

Tourism Minister Mausoom, MMPRC Managing Director Thoyyib Mohamed and other senior officials of MACL were present to welcome the tourists.

Speaking to reporters at the airport, Mausoom said that when Chinese tourists started coming back after a major hiatus, this would reflect on the growth rate of tourism in the Maldives this year.

The minister said:

During the "golden era" of the Chinese market, 30% of tourist arrivals were accounted for by the market alone

That is close to 360,000 per year

280,000 Chinese tourists came in 2019

"Even if that doesn't happen this year, we are looking at it to cross the one hundred thousand mark. If that happens, it will be a big boost," the minister said.

“The country's largest tourist market has stayed away for three years and today they have officially returned. I'm really excited."

Mausoom said that just as Chinese tourists have little patience to come to the Maldives, the tourism industry in the Maldives is ready to welcome Chinese tourists.

"The Chinese market is very product-friendly in the country. We have the kind of products the Chinese want. They have run out of patience for these three years [to come to the country]," he said.

"We're looking forward to a lot of Chinese tourists coming this year."

Beijing Capital will operate four charters to the Maldives, with three this month and the last on February 1.

China Eastern will begin scheduled flights on January 28, with flights every Saturday.

China will account for at least 10% of the total tourist arrivals to the Maldives in the coming months, Maldives Travel Agents and Tour Operators Association (MATATO) said last week.

Minister expects 60 percent boost in China tourists

Chinese tourist numbers less than expected: why, china-maldives flights to resume from 18 january, china dominance continues as maldives crosses 900,000 tourists.

• Jun 5, 2023

Amb Wang Lixin Welcomes Chairman of China Tourism Group to Maldives

June 5, 2023

Malé, Maldives - Her Excellency Wang Lixin, the Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives, extended a warm welcome to Chairman Chen Yin of China Tourism Group and his delegation, as they embarked on a visit to the Maldives to explore investment opportunities and foster cooperation in the tourism sector.

Ambassador Wang expressed her enthusiasm for the potential achievements that lie ahead in strengthening the bilateral tourism cooperation between China and the Maldives.

The visit of Chairman Chen Yin and his delegation holds significant importance as the Maldives continues to enhance its tourism industry, attracting global investments and forging partnerships with leading international entities.

China, being one of the Maldives' key tourism markets, presents a plethora of opportunities for both countries to collaborate and further elevate the tourism sector's growth.

During their stay, Chairman Chen Yin and the delegation is expected to engage in discussions with Maldivian tourism officials, industry stakeholders and potential investors.

Ambassador Wang emphasized that China and the Maldives have enjoyed a long-standing friendship and cooperation in various fields, including tourism. She further highlighted that the visit of Chairman Chen Yin and his delegation symbolizes the commitment of both nations to strengthening their ties in the tourism sector.

Very pleased to welcome Chairman Chen Yin of China Tourism Group & his delegation to visit Maldives and explore opportunities for investment and cooperation. Looking forward to more achievements in tourism cooperation between China and Maldives

Amb Wang Lixin tweeted this evening.

China Tourism Group, a prominent state-owned enterprise specializing in tourism and travel services, is recognized for its expertise and global reach.

The visit by Chairman Chen Yin and his delegation signifies China's continued interest and confidence in the Maldives as an attractive investment destination.

As the world gradually emerges from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maldives seeks to revitalize its tourism industry, which has been a cornerstone of its economy.

The Chinese market has been crucial in driving the Maldives' tourism growth, with an increasing number of Chinese tourists visiting the tropical paradise each year.

The visit of Chairman Chen Yin and his delegation comes at an opportune time, as both nations work towards recovering and rebuilding their respective tourism sectors.

Chinese Ambassador Wang Lixin tweeted late last year assuring this.

The outbound tourism for Chinese citizens will be resumed in an orderly manner very soon. I believe the Maldives will as always be one of the most favored destinations of the Chinese tourists

This visit by China Torusim Group is expected to facilitate dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the establishment of stronger partnerships between Chinese investors and their Maldivian counterparts in the torusim sector.

As the discussions progress and plans unfold, the hope is that this visit will result in concrete initiatives that will further elevate the tourism offerings of the Maldives and strengthen the bond between the two nations in the realm of tourism cooperation.

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How China-Maldives cooperation brings tangible benefits to people

After 33 months of intensive construction, the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, built with support from Chinese enterprises, was officially opened in late August 2018, connecting the capital Male and the neighboring island of Hulhumale.

With a designed service life of 100 years, the 2-km-long bridge is a landmark project for China and the Maldives under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and is playing an important role in the country's economic and social development.

As the most iconic and transformational project carried out so far in the Maldives, the bridge has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, both people living there and visitors, President of the Maldives Mohamed Muizzu once said.

Muizzu will pay a state visit to China from January 8 to 12, aiming to push bilateral relations to a new level.

A view of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge. /CMG

BRI cooperation promotes prosperity in Maldives

The opening of the bridge has also given rise to a new bridge-related job in the Maldives.

"There were no traffic lights in the capital Male. However, they were installed on the bridge after the opening. Therefore, a new profession has emerged, which is the bridge traffic police," Du Cailiang, a staff member of a Chinese company in charge of the bridge project, told China Media Group (CMG), adding that traffic on the bridge has become smooth since then.

The traffic volume has reached hundreds of millions of people since the bridge was opened five years ago.

Within the BRI framework, many other projects, including the construction of social housing units, have been carried out with the Chinese government's assistance.

With the help of Chinese enterprises, thousands of families have moved into spacious and bright modern housing, with living conditions having been significantly improved.

"The house is very cozy. We feel extremely comfortable living here," a resident of one of the social housing units told CMG, adding that many people live in and enjoy such apartments.

In addition, the expansion and upgrading of the Velana International Airport are underway, which will significantly increase the airport's capacity upon completion.

BRI cooperation between the two countries has brought tangible benefits to the people of the Maldives, effectively promoted the country's economic and social development, and improved people's livelihood and well-being, Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives Wang Lixin told CMG.

From 2010, China was the largest source of tourists to the Maldives for 10 consecutive years. According to the Maldives Ministry of Tourism, nearly 300,000 Chinese tourists visited the Maldives in 2019, accounting for around 17 percent of total tourist arrivals that year.

In January 2023, the Maldives was included in the first batch of pilot countries to resume China's outbound group travel. Meanwhile, China's Capital Airlines resumed direct flights from Beijing to Male on January 18, 2023.

As tourism is the pillar industry of the Maldives, the return of Chinese tourists will help the country's economic recovery following the pandemic, and is also conducive to promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges and enhancing bilateral ties, Ambassador Wang said.

A mutual visa exemption policy between the two countries took effect in February 2023, allowing Chinese citizens visa-free stay or transit in the country for no more than 30 days for business and travel purposes.

Muizzu believes that the number of Chinese tourists traveling to the Maldives will increase significantly in the future and may return to the same level as before the COVID-19 pandemic.

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News January 18, 2023

Maldives Welcomes Back Chinese Tourists After 3-Year Hiatus

The Maldives has welcomed back Chinese tourists after a nearly three-year hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. On January 18th, the Maldives received 198 Chinese tourists who arrived on the first flight from China operated by Beijing Capital Airlines. This marks the first time a Chinese airline has operated a direct flight to the Maldives since March 2020.

The arriving tourists were greeted with traditional  boduberu , and a special gift pack along with flowers in celebration of welcoming the first visitors from China to the Maldives in the past 3 years. The event was joined by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, Ambassadors and other high-level executives from the Government of the Maldives and China.

Beijing Capital Airlines plans to operate four weekly flights to the Maldives until February 22nd, direct from the capital city of Beijing. Two other airlines, China Eastern and BEOND, are also planning to relaunch flights to the Maldives in the coming months. China Eastern is set to begin scheduled flights on January 28th, with flights every Saturday.

Tourism in the Maldives is expected to receive a significant boost once Chinese tourists start returning to the country. In 2019, 267,875 Chinese tourists visited the Maldives, making up 17.5% of the record 1.7 billion tourist arrivals to the island destination that year. According to the Ministry of Tourism, China is expected to account for at least 10% of total tourist arrivals to the Maldives in the coming months. The Maldives Travel Agents and Tour Operators Association predicts that the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Maldives will sharply increase during China’s “Super Golden Week” early in the year, which combines two public holidays including the Lunar New Year. This year’s Chinese New Year falls on January 22nd.

China remains the world’s largest outbound travel market, with Chinese tourists spending US$255 billion globally annually. The lifting of travel restrictions has spurred a surge in bookings as Asia’s tourist hotspots prepare for a boom and airlines seek to quickly ramp up capacity.

Latest Travel News

News June 13, 2024

President aims to double the number of tourists from China

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced the government's goal to double the number of tourist arrivals from China to the Maldives. He made the announcement while speaking to reporters at Velana International Airport (VIA) upon concluding his inaugural visit to China. During his visit, Dr. Muizzu urged Chinese authorities to collaborate in establishing China as the number one tourism market for the Maldives. He also disclosed the signing of an agreement with the Chinese government aimed at increasing tourist arrivals to the Maldives. Additionally, Dr. Muizzu detailed discussions held with the objective of increasing both the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Maldives and the frequency of flights connecting the two nations. Notably, he said that efforts were directed towards enhancing direct flight options between the Maldives and China. Furthermore, President Dr. Muizzu revealed that China's Xiamen Airlines is set to commence flights to the Maldives in March of this year. He expressed plans to extend promotional initiatives for the Maldives within China. A total of 284,029 tourists from China visited the Maldives in 2019, while 187,118 tourists arrived in 2023, According to Ministry of Tourism statistics. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Chinese tourist arrivals are anticipated to match pre-pandemic levels, with a projected 40% increase compared to the previous year.

Maldives and China discuss strengthening relations

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Maldives Backs Cultural Tourism Events by Chinese Embassy and Fujian Delegation

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Maldives and China Sign Key Agreements During Official Visit

Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Abdulla Shahid and the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Maldives H.E, Wang Lixin, today witnessed the signing of key agreements on important areas such as infrastructure development and health.

The agreements were signed during the ongoing visit of H.E. Deng Boqing, Vice Chairman of the Chinese International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) to the Maldives. The agreements that were signed today include “Memorandum of Understanding Between China International Development Cooperation Agency of the Government of the People’s Republic of China and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives on Development Cooperation Plan (2023-2025)”, which will focus on promoting cooperation in such areas as health care, climate change, infrastructure, agriculture, people-to-people exchanges and disaster prevention and reduction, promote economic and social development and improve people’s lives and livelihood in the Maldives. The agreement was signed by Foreign Secretary H.E. Ahmed Latheef on behalf of the Government of Maldives.

H.E. Ahmed Adil, Minister of State for Health signed on behalf of the Government, the “Letters of Exchange on the Feasibility Study on Hospitals in Maldives”. H.E. Mohamed Thoriq, Minister of State for Arts, Culture and Heritage signed on behalf of the Government, the “Letters of Exchange on Renovation of the Maldives National Museum”. H.E. Akram Kamaaluddin, Minister of State for National Planning and Infrastructure signed on behalf of the Government, the “Letters of Exchange on the Maintenance of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge”.

Speaking at the Signing Ceremony that was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Shahid reiterated the close relations the Maldives presently enjoys with China and thanked the Chinese Government for their kind contributions towards the socio-economic development of the Maldives. He further noted that the construction of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, will have a significant impact on the daily lives of the Maldivian people.

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Photo shows a mesmerizing and stark contrast between the red palm trees and the famed crystal clear water of the Maldives. Using an infra-red filter camera, Italian photographer Paolo Pettigiani captured the spectacular scenery of the picturesque island. Photo: VCG

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