Maldives welcomed Chinese tourists with a vibrant welcome

Chinese tourists have returned to the Maldives for the first time since 2020 after China resumed outbound travel due to its optimized epidemic prevention policy. On Wednesday, a direct flight carrying 193 passengers from Beijing arrived in Male, the capital of the Maldives. The tourists were greeted by a high-level delegation including officials from the Embassy of China in the Maldives and the Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives, who handed out special gift packs and flowers.

Before the pandemic, China was the top source market for the Maldives, but the number of arrivals fell dramatically in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In 2019, there were 284,029 Chinese arrivals, while in 2020, there were just 34,245. The Maldives government is now discussing the inclusion of tourist arrivals from China in its target for tourist arrivals for 2023, with Minister of Tourism Abdulla Mausoom stating that the government’s target of attracting 1.8 million tourists this year will be increased by 10 per cent. This has prompted an uprise of great deals and offers from all Maldives premium all-inclusive resorts such as Dhigali Maldives.