date_range
Tuesday 23 Jun 2026
LOCAL EDITION
close
LOCAL EDITION
Passengers of the Viking Yidun are welcomed upon arrival in Male' City on June 23, 2026. (Photo/Visit Maldives)
The Viking Yidun arrived in Male’ with over 700 passengers on Tuesday – marking the first time for a Chinese cruise ship to visit the Maldives.
The award-winning luxury cruise ship docked off the Izzuddin Jetty at around 07:00 am Tuesday.
Visit Maldives and Maldives Association of Yacht Agents (MAYA) held a special reception at the jetty to welcome the passengers, providing them with a memorable first impression of the Maldives through authentic cultural experiences and warm local hospitality.
According to Immigration, the ship arrived with 732 passengers and 486 crew members.
The passengers were greeted with a vibrant Boduberu cultural performance by the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) Estate Boduberu Team, showcasing the rich traditions and cultural heritage of the Maldives.
They were also presented with promotional tote bags with destination materials and brand items.
Visit Maldives stated that the visit formed part of ongoing efforts to showcase Maldives as a premier destination for cruise travel, targeting high value international source markets and broadening visitor arrival channels beyond traditional segments.
“The arrival represents a step in the continued diversification of the Maldives’ tourism portfolio and the development of cruise tourism as a complementary segment of the Maldives’ wider tourism offering,” stated the tourism promotion board.
According to Visit Maldives, the initiative is part of its broader collaboration with MAYA, which aims to further strengthen the Maldives as a leading destination for yacht and cruise tourism in the Indian Ocean.
The tourism board seeks to boost tourist numbers by diversifying arrival channels.
Viking Yidun is set to depart Male’ at around 06:00 pm Tuesday.
The Maldives has welcomed over 1 million tourists this year. China remains the top source market for tourist arrivals to the island destination, with over 161,300 visitors as of Monday. The market has seen a 16 percent growth this year.
