Ambassador says Chinese tourists impatient to visit Maldives
The ambassador noted that Maldives is a popular destination among the Chinese people, especially the youth.
By
Ahmed Mizyal
Chinese ambassador to the Maldives Wang Lixin has said that efforts are underway to resume direct flights between the Maldives and China and that she hopes Chinese tourists will begin arriving in the Maldives very soon.
Speaking on PSM's 'Seventy Five Zero' programme on Saturday, Lixin said the highest number of tourists arrived in the Maldives from China before Covid-19 hit.
The ambassador noted that Maldives is a popular destination among the Chinese people, especially the youth. She said that Chinese tourists are impatient to arrive in the Maldives.
"With the improving Covid-19 pandemic situation [in China], it is believed that the number of tourist arrivals from China to the Maldives will increase significantly in the near future," said the Ambassador.
She said efforts are underway to begin direct flights between Maldives and China, but did not specify the exact date on which flights would begin.
Since 2010, China has been the biggest single source market for Maldives tourism.
Tourist arrivals from China in recent years:
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2016: 324,326 tourists
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2017: 306,530 tourists
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2018: 283,116 tourists
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2019: 284,029 tourists
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2020: 34,245 tourists
