The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation and Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) on Friday hosted a high-level tourism networking event in Beijing as part of the Maldives' ongoing official visit to China.

The event brought together Chinese tour operators, airlines, travel media, industry leaders, and other tourism stakeholders to strengthen trade partnerships and promote the Maldives as a leading travel destination.

State Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Haris Mohamed welcomed guests with a destination presentation showcasing the diverse experiences available across the Maldives for Chinese travellers.

Visit Maldives stated that the event forms part of efforts to strengthen collaboration with the Chinese travel trade, reinforce existing partnerships, and showcase the country's tourism offerings.

The networking event is part of an official visit to China by a Maldivian tourism delegation from July 1 to July 11. The delegation includes representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Visit Maldives Corporation, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the national airline Maldivian, and tourism industry associations.

The delegation is scheduled to visit Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu, where meetings and networking events are being held with Chinese government officials, airlines, tour operators, travel agents, and travel technology companies.

The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation said the visit aims to strengthen ties with one of the Maldives' key tourism source markets, improve air connectivity, and support the continued growth of the tourism industry.

China remains the Maldives' largest tourism source market this year, with more than 168,000 Chinese tourists visiting the country so far, representing an increase of nearly 20 per cent compared with the same period last year.