Chinese Ambassador urges Maldives to boost efforts to attract more Chinese visitors

China’s ambassador to the Maldives has urged the country to step up marketing and safety measures to increase the number of Chinese tourists.

Speaking to state broadcaster PSM, ambassador Kong Xinhua noted that China remains the Maldives’ largest source market, with arrivals now back to pre-pandemic levels.

But with 140 million Chinese nationals travelling abroad annually, he said there was ample opportunity to expand the share coming to the Maldives.

“I would like to propose that the Maldives do two things,” Kong said. “One is to strengthen marketing; it is necessary to expand promotional activities to a big market like China. The second is to further ensure the safety and security of Chinese tourists.”

The ambassador pointed out that Chinese visitors account for the majority of drowning incidents in the Maldives, attributing this to limited familiarity with the sea.

“Most Chinese tourists are not so familiar with the sea. But they are very interested in the natural beauty of the Maldives. So if more measures are taken for their safety, I have no doubt that the number of Chinese tourists will increase many times over,” he said.

Ambassador Kong said a tourism forum is being planned for the final quarter of the year, in partnership with agencies and industry stakeholders from both countries, to strengthen cooperation.

“Such joint efforts between the two countries would yield strong results and benefit Maldives tourism,” he said.