China Travel

Maldives to see big influx of Chinese tourists following mutual visa-free arrangement 2023/2/24 source: International Daily Print

The volume of search for flight tickets and hotel accommodations in Maldives has grown dramatically on China's online travel platforms since the policy of mutual visa exemption between the two countries took effect on Friday.


According to an official release from the Department of Consular Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the mutual visa exemption policy allows Chinese citizens to have a visa-free stay or transit in Maldives for no more than 30 days for business or travel purposes.

Data from the online travel service provider Trip.com Group showed that the number of searches for "Maldives" doubled just half an hour after the release of the policy compared with the same period a day earlier.

Another Chinese online travel service provider -- Qunar.com -- said that the volume of search for hotel accommodations in Maldives increased by 126 percent from the previous day.

"On a monthly basis, the volume of search for tours to Maldives increased by about 150 percent compared to January, and the number of orders has increased by about 50 percent. The customers prefer self-guided travel packages. About 40 percent of the customers choose products with a price between 14,000 yuan (about 2,034 U.S. dollars) and 23,000 yuan (about 3,343 U.S. dollars)," said Chen Li'nan, director of the Public Affairs Department of Trip.com Group.

"After I heard of the mutual visa exemption policy, I've come to this travel agency to learn more about the price of the flight tickets and hotel accommodations, and tourism destinations, to see what will interest me," said a customer in Beijing.

Industry insiders say that both Beijing and Shanghai have direct flights to Maldives, and that airlines in China are expected to open more routes to Maldives to meet the increasing travelling demand.

Tourism is a pillar industry of the Maldives. In 2019, nearly 300,000 Chinese tourists visited Maldives, accounting for around 17 percent of total tourist arrivals in the country that year.


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