Maldives pitches to Chinese travelers

Group photo of staff from Maldives' tourism authority. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Maldives' tourism authority staged road shows in Shanghai, Zhengzhou and Beijing from Dec 16-18.

Local airlines, hotels, resorts and travel agencies presented the Maldives' tourism offerings. About 300 Chinese tour operators attended.

The country hopes to use the campaign to advance tourism cooperation and offer more quality tourism products and services to Chinese, says Mohamed Haris, head of the Maldives' tourism bureau.

The campaign has brought the island nation's tour operators in closer contact with Chinese buyers.

China has become the biggest force in the archipelago's travel industry — long a pillar of its economy. About 30 percent of inbound visitors this year have been Chinese.