Ministry of Tourism has revealed that a cruise ship from Japan named Nippon Maru carrying 220 tourists has arrived in Male' City.
This is the first cruise line from Japan to arrive in the Maldives after the travel of cruise ships was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the highest number of tourists from Japan since 2019, according to the ministry. The 500-seat cruise ship carrying Japanese tourists was warmly welcomed by the tourism ministry.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom said that the Japanese market is very important for tourism in the Maldives and the number of tourists visiting the country from Japan will increase in the near future. He said the arrival of cruise ships from different countries is a great opportunity to further expand cruise tourism. He also said that the challenges in docking cruise ships will be resolved soon.
After the cruise lines were suspended due to the pandemic, many cruise ships have started arriving to the Maldives. The first cruise ship arrived in November 20, 2022.