On March 25, Ambassador of China to the Maldives, Kong Xianhua, met with representatives of the National Hotels & Guesthouse Association of Maldives (NHGAM). The two sides exchanged views on strengthening China–Maldives tourism cooperation.

NHGAM noted that compared with the traditional “one island, one resort” model of high-end resort islands, the guesthouse sector in the Maldives started relatively late but has developed rapidly. In recent years, many Chinese tourists visiting the Maldives have traveled to local inhabited islands, driving the growth of hotels and guesthouses. The Association attaches great importance to the Chinese tourist market and hopes to strengthen cooperation with China, enhance safety measures for Chinese visitors, and attract more Chinese tourists to the Maldives.

Ambassador Kong stated that the Chinese side places high importance on the safety of Chinese tourists visiting the Maldives. Improving safety guarantees will help further enhance the attractiveness of the Maldivian tourism industry. He added that China’s economic outlook remains strong with vast market potential, and welcomed Maldivian tourism stakeholders to increase research and investment in the Chinese market, in order to develop safer, diverse, and tailored travel experiences for Chinese tourists.