A Sri Lankan cruise liner with hundreds of tourists onboard has arrived in Maldives for the second time this calendar year.
The cruise liner, ‘MS Crystal Symphony’ arrived in Maldives on 23 March with over 300 passengers and 477 crewmembers.
This marks the second time this year the ship has visited the Maldives, the Immigration Department said. The ship had visited the Maldives in January this year, with over 200 passengers and 300 crewmembers.
Additionally, 1,274 tourists and 751 crew members arrived on the 9 March aboard the ‘MS Zuiderdam’, which is also a cruise line from Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Recognising the sector's importance to the economy, the current administration has intensified efforts to strengthen cruise ship tourism. To facilitate this growth, the government has embarked on developing three specialised harbours across different regions to accommodate cruise ships.
With the government's focus on increasing cruise ship tourism, overall tourist arrivals in the Maldives have continued to rise. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, the nation has welcomed over 588,484 visitors so far this year, reflecting a positive trend in tourism growth.