Tourism in the Maldives

Tourism is the largest economic industry in the Maldives, as it plays an important role in earning foreign exchange revenues and employing 25,000 people in the tertiary sector of the country.

Given that tourism is the primary economic driver in the Maldives, this trend is affording the Chinese substantial influence over the nation's economy.

Current work is being undertaken to boost tourism room capacity by constructing another 23 properties, which will include foreign developers such as the Waldorf Astoria, Mövenpick, Pullman and the Hard Rock Café Hotel.

China has established a presence in nearly every facet of the Maldivian government, tourism industry, and economy, spanning both the private and public sectors.

According to the World Bank, with "future sea levels projected to increase in the range of 10 to 100 centimeters by the year 2100, the entire country could be submerged."

Vulnerability to climate change hazards has been magnified by damage to coral reefs which has in turn impaired their protective function, thus a negative cycle of impact.

"[16] On 24 May 2021, Maldives had the world's fastest-growing COVID-19 outbreak, with the highest number of infections per thousand people over the prior 7 and 14 days, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

[19] Nevertheless, the Maldives have frequently come under criticism for their lack of protection of the local shark populations, which have sharply decreased after being hunted extensively for decades.

[20] In 2001, a local environmental organization called Seamarc/Marine savers (known onsite as Reefscapers), set up an ambitious program of reimplantation of coral in damaged areas, on the basis of resort sponsorship.

[26] On 5 February 2018, the government declared a state of emergency due to the increased protests and aggressive clashes with the police in Malé.

[27] On 18 June 2023, a Chinese national took to Twitter to share a harrowing incident she encountered during her stay at Maldives’ luxurious Ritz-Carlton resort.

She also accused the resort management and the Maldivian police of hushing the matter and taking no coercive steps to investigate her case.The victim, a Chinese national currently pursuing her studies in Australia, in a long Twitter thread wrote that she had reached Maldives on the 6th of June and was scheduled to return to China on the 10th but she decided to extend her stay and checked into the Ritz Carlton Fari Island resort, unaware of the horror that would befall her.