Direct flights between China’s provinces and the Maldives’ southernmost Addu City are set to commence this year, as announced by Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal. Speaking at a PNC event on Thursday night, Minister Faisal revealed that he had advocated for these flights during a meeting with the vice president of China Eastern Airlines at ITB China in May.
“I am confident that this can be achieved very soon. We are working to commence direct flights to Addu from various provinces in China within this year,” Minister Faisal stated.
The Minister also shared the government’s progress on reopening Shangri-La Resort in Addu City. He mentioned that a special task force had been formed within the Tourism Ministry following discussions with Shangri-La’s local senior management last week. The task force is dedicated to ensuring that the resort reopens as planned.
“It is President Muizzu’s wish that works on Shangri-La be completed by December when he is due to visit Addu City,” Minister Faisal said.
Addu City currently has approximately 850 tourist beds, and the government envisions significantly expanding tourism in the region. This includes linking Addu City with Fuvahmulah City, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, and Gaafu Alifu Atoll via direct flights. Efforts are also underway to develop tourism zones in Addu City.
“Tourism industry stakeholders who visited Addu are interested in developing the land plots in the tourism zones allocated by Addu City Council,” Minister Faisal noted. To facilitate this development, the government is working on securing funds from Bank of Maldives (BML) and Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB), aiming to secure at least MVR 100 million from each bank.
Minister Faisal also highlighted that the reopening of Shangri-La Resort is contingent on the commencement of direct flights between Addu City and China. The 284-bed luxury resort, which opened in Addu City in 2009, was closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government recently released its stake in Addu Investment Private Limited, the operator of the resort, to remove any obstacles to making Shangri-La operational again.
The forthcoming direct flights and the anticipated reopening of Shangri-La Resort mark significant steps towards boosting tourism in Addu City, promising enhanced connectivity and increased economic opportunities for the region.
