Maldives witnessed yesterday the arrival of the first direct flight from Fujian Province, China, to the Maldives, enhancing traveler connections between the two countries. Upon arrival at Velana International Airport, passengers of Xiamen Airlines flight MF8017 were welcomed with a customary BoduBeru performance and given exclusive gift packets.
Dignitaries from various tourism-related organizations, including the Maldives Airports Company Limited, Maldives Immigration, Maldives Customs Service, and H.E. Ambassador Wang Lixin, the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Maldives, attended the event.
For Maldivian tourists, China continues to be a crucial source market. The start of direct flights from China in January 2023 played a major role in the notable rise in Chinese arrivals, which amounted to over 187,125 tourists in the previous year. China now occupies one of the top three source markets for the Maldives as a result of this.
The resurgence of Chinese tourism in the Maldives is highlighted by the addition of a new direct flight from Fujian Province. The Maldives also welcomed the first direct flight from Hong Kong since 2020 in January of this year. February 12, 2024, saw the resort record its highest-ever single-day tourist arrivals; a significant accomplishment made possible by a spike in tourists from China.
It is anticipated that direct flights and focused marketing initiatives aimed at the Chinese market will propel even higher growth in Chinese tourism. The Maldives hopes to keep drawing Chinese tourists in order to establish itself as a popular travel destination.
