Maldives Immigration has reported that 1,056 tourists have arrived in the Maldives so far this year via cruise ships.
The most recent arrival was the Crystal Symphony, a cruise liner sailing under the Bahamian flag, which arrived from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and docked in Malé City on Friday. A total of 577 tourists and 496 crew members disembarked and were cleared by Immigration authorities.
The cruise line was scheduled to remain in the Maldives for one day; as of Saturday afternoon, it is now cruising in the Indian Ocean at 17 knots en route to Praslin Island, Seychelles, according to the Crystal Symphony website.
This marks the second cruise ship to visit the Maldives this year. The first arrived from Seychelles, carrying 479 tourists and 491 crew members. Cruise ships frequently call at the Maldives, stopping not only in Malé but also at islands in other atolls, allowing tourists to explore multiple destinations.
The Tourism Ministry reports that over 143,211 tourists have visited the Maldives so far this year, an 8.3 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. The largest number of visitors came from Russia, followed by more than 21,000 from the UAE and over 16,000 from Italy.
