chinese – Minivan News

Chinese tourist seriously injured in Malé bike accident

Additional reporting by Ismail Humaam Hamid

A Chinese tourist has sustained serious injuries after being struck by a motorcycle in the capital city Malé yesterday.

Police have confirmed that the incident happened at 2:45pm as the tourist was attempting to take a photograph of the People’s Majlis on Medhuziyaari Magu.

After being taken to ADK hospital yesterday (September 20), Minivan News understands that the man – named by local media as Jiyathai Joo, aged 50 – has been flown to Sri Lanka for treatment of head injuries.

The motorcyclist involved in the incident – a 19-year-old identified in local media as Malé resident – has been arrested by police. He suffered only minor injuries in the collision.

Chinese tourists have become common increasingly common in the capital in recent years, with day trips offering a change of pace from the relaxed island resorts elsewhere in the atoll.

The rapidly expanding Chinese market now accounts for around 30 percent of the one million plus visitors to the country each year.

President Abdulla Yameen last week noted his desire to see further expansion of Chinese visitors during the historic visit of Chinese President Xi Jinpeng.

The occasion also saw the signing of a number of MoUs including one establishing a joint mechanism on dealing with the issue of safety and security of Chinese tourists visiting the Maldives.

The most frequent source of accidents involving Chinese tourists involve snorkelling incidents, with the government having previously acknowledged the need to improve safety regulations in this respect.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Tourist arrivals rose 17 percent in 2013

Tourist arrivals to the Maldives rose 17 percent in 2013 compared to the previous year, according to the latest Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) monthly economic review.

“This was mainly due to the large increase in tourist arrivals from China, coupled with a slight growth in arrivals from Europe. Reﬂecting this, the total bednights and occupancy rate also recorded an increase during the year,” the MMA’s review stated.

The review did note, however, that the average duration of stay declined in 2013 compared with the year before.

Statistics from the tourism ministry show that 331,719 Chinese tourists visited the Maldives last year, which was a 44.5 percent increase from the previous year.

Chinese tourists accounted for 29.5 percent of all tourist arrivals in 2013.

The central bank also noted that real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was expected to “accelerate to 4.5 percent in 2014, driven mainly by the tourism sector.”

In November 2013, the finance ministry revealed that the tourism industry’s GDP growth in 2012 declined by 0.1 percent following 15.8 percent growth in 2010 and 9.2 percent in 2011.

Despite negative growth in 2012, the finance ministry estimated that the industry would have expanded 5.5 percent in 2013 and forecast a growth rate of 5.2 percent for this year.

The average duration of stay has however fallen from 8.6 days in 2009 to 6.7 days in 2012 and 6.3 days in 2013.

According to the annual tourism yearbook published by the Tourism Ministry, the average occupancy rate of all tourist establishments in 2012 was 2.5 percent below the previous year at 70.6 percent.

The Maldivian economy is largely dependent on tourism, which accounted for 28 percent of GDP on average in the past five years, and generated 38 percent of government revenue in 2012.

Meanwhile, in the fisheries industry – the second largest domestic industry – “the volume of ﬁsh exports increased by 48 percent while the earnings on ﬁsh exports rose by 14 percent” between January and November 2013 compared to the same period in 2012.

“This was contributed by the increase in both the volume and earnings on fresh, chilled or frozen tuna,” the MMA report stated.

It added that fish purchases rose by 21 percent from January to September 2013 compared to the same period the previous year.

Inflation

The monthly review noted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) commodity price index increased by two percent in monthly terms during December 2013.

“This increase was due to the rise in food, metal and petroleum prices in the review period. In annual terms the IMF commodity price index increased by one percent, contributed by the increase in petroleum prices which oﬀ set the price declines in food and metal.The price of crude oil increased by three percent in monthly terms during December 2013, while prices rose by six percent in annual terms,” the review stated.

The rate of inflation in the capital Malé meanwhile decreased to 3.1 percent in December 2013, the MMA revealed, which was “largely due to the fall in fish prices.”

“Similarly, the rate of inﬂation in Male’ decelerated marginally in monthly terms during December 2013, which was also due to the fall in ﬁsh prices,” the review stated.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Chinese expatriate attacked on Raa Dhuvaafaru

Police have said that last Monday (9 December) a Chinese national living on the island of Dhuvaafaru in Raa Atoll was attacked by a group of people.

Police said two persons aged 18 and 22, along with a minor, were arrested in connection with the attack.

According to the police, the Chinese national was admitted to Dhuvaafaru Health Centre and has now been released after treatment.

Police said that three persons were arrested the same night at about 9pm.

The three suspects were taken to the Dhuvaafaru Magistrate Court, and their detention period has been extended to five days for investigation.

Dhuvaafaru police station is investigating the case, police added.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

25 year-old Chinese tourist found dead in sea

The body of a 25 year-old Chinese tourist staying at Alsana Velaavaru Resort was found today floating in the sea near the resort, police have reported.

Police said that they received information about the incident today at 11:05am.

The body was discovered by a staff member at the resort, police said.

According to police, doctors said the man was already dead when the body was taken out of the water.

Tourist deaths – usually while snorkeling – are disproportionately higher among Chinese tourists, which now account for a majority of Maldives tourist arrivals, compared to the traditional European market.

The body has been brought to Male’ and police are investigating the case.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Chinese woman dies in resort swimming pool

A 50 year-old Chinese woman has died in a resort swimming pool, according to local media.

The women died on Saturday afternoon while in the deep end of the guest pool at the Robinson Club Maldives resort on Funamadua in Gaafu Alif Atoll, reported Sun Online.

Other guests in the area failed to notice the woman was in trouble until it was too late, according to Sun.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Tourism Ministry to use commercials and street performances to attract Chinese tourists

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has revealed new plans to promote the Maldives to Chinese tourists through commercials showcasing the country’s culture.

The announcement follows a succession of international campaigns that threaten to damage the reputation of the Maldives’ tourism industry, both in China and traditional European markets.

Earlier in March, calls for a tourism boycott of the Maldives exploded across Chinese social media networks after allegations of discrimination against Chinese guests became widely circulated.

The tourism industry suffered another potential blow last week, when the online petition website Avaaz.org received over one million signatures in protest of the sentencing of a 15 year-old rape victim to 100 lashes for the offence of fornication.

In response to the negative press, Deputy Tourism Minister Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal told local media on Tuesday (March 26), that the ministry is currently preparing a number of activities to promote the country to the Chinese market.

According to the Maleeh, the ministry is preparing two commercial segments to be aired on Chinese national broadcaster, CCTV.

“The programs will show Maldives tourism, culture, traditional talents such as boat construction, and other themes that display the beauty of Maldivian culture and so on, Maldives resorts and their natural beauty, underwater footage, it’ll be excellent for the channel,” Maleeh was quoted as saying in SunOnline.

In addition to the commercials, the deputy tourism minister revealed that plans are currently underway to stage street performances in four different cities in China.

Maleeh claimed that the programs will work to the country’s advantage and will significantly promote Maldives tourism in China.

“Street performances are to be played in four different cities, and we will be meeting with at least 2000 agents, and even if we can attract about 20 news reporters from each city, it is large number, it will have a large effect on tourism,” Maleeh was quoted as saying.

According to Maleeh, the ministry has initiated a number of new efforts in order counter the widespread negative publicity circulating against tourism in the Maldives.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb and Deputy Tourism Minister Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal were not responding to calls from Minivan News at time of press.

Campaigns will damage both tourism and economy: Maleeh

On Sunday (March 24), Maleeh told local media that recent campaigns calling for tourists to boycott the Maldives would damage both tourism and the country as a whole.

Maleeh claimed the petition launched by Avaaz calling for the Maldives government to end the practice of flogging was really an attempt by the opposition to damage the country’s economy for political gain.

The petition, which has been signed by more than 1.2 million people, was launched after the Juvenile Court sentenced a 15 year-old rape victim to 100 lashes for a separate crime of fornication.

“When they started the campaign, they were clearly aware of the president’s stand, as well the attorney general’s stand on the matter,” Maleeh said, according to SunOnline.

“Looking back, a 14 year-old was given the same sentence during former President Nasheed’s presidency and nobody seemed to have talked about that. This whole deed is an attempt to defame the country’s tourism industry and [damage the] economy,” he said.

Cup noodle discrimination

Earlier this month, dismissed Chinese employees of the Beach House Iruveli resort – formerly Waldorf Astoria – posted allegations on the Chinese forum Tianya that guests from the country were receiving inferior treatment to Europeans, despite paying the same prices.

The staff alleged that this discrimination extended to removing kettles from the rooms of Chinese guests, to prevent them from making instant noodles in their rooms and thereby forcing them into the resort’s restaurants.

The resort has since denied the claims, stating that it had “removed damaged kettles from rooms as part of routine maintenance due to the fact that these kettles were damaged by guests by cooking food.”

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Increase in Chinese presence in Maldives IT sector sparks Indian concern

Indian authorities have expressed concern over China’s expanding influence in the IT and telecom sectors in the Maldives, Indian media has reported.

The Indian Ministry of Communications and IT, along with security agencies in India, have now agreed that Beijing’s state-owned companies should be “kept at bay” from Maldives’ IT and telecom sectors, The Hindu reported.

Indian intelligence agencies were alerted to the issue after the Maldives requested a soft loan of US$54 million for an IT infrastructure project from China

The Ministry has suggested the Indian government plan a substantial investment in the Maldives along similar projects to ensure telecom traffic between India and Maldives is handled through equipment the Indian government has confidence in.

“The Government… may also plan substantial investment in the Maldives on similar projects [as being planned by China] ensuring that the traffic between India and the Maldives is handled through the equipment installed and commissioned in the Maldives by India,” read internal government note, according to Indian newspaper the Hindu.

The Sri Lankan subsidiary of Chinese telecom equipment-maker Huawei Technologies has already signed an agreement with Maldives’ National Centre of Information Technologies to develop IT infrastructure under the ‘Smart Maldives Project’, Indian media stated.

“The proposed project assumes significance due to the fact that China can capitalise its influence over the Maldives to utilise the latter’s network once the project is implemented,” the Indian Reasearch & Analysis Wing said in an internal note as reported by the Hindu.

Minivan News was awaiting a response from Indian Minister for Communications & Information Technology Shri Kapil Sibal and Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid at time of press.

Former Transport and Communications Minister Dr Ahmed Shamheed claimed the issue of Chinese involvement in the Maldivian IT sector had been raised by Indian officials in the past.

Shamheed said that a ‘smart card’ project that had been signed between China and Nasheed’s government to replace the National ID cards had sparked interest from the Indian government.

“The Indian High Commissioner in the Maldives once suggested to me that [the Chinese] would steal all of our government’s data should we work with them.

“The deal with the Chinese was that they would provide us with smart cards which will replace our current ID cards. When this happened, the Indian government wanted to provide us with their own system instead of the Chinese one,” Shamheed told Minivan News.

Acting Minister of Transport and Communications Mohamed Nazim was not responding to calls at time of press.

Defence Minister visits China

Last month (December 10, 2012) Minister of Defence and National Security Mohamed Nazim departed to China on an official five-day visit at the invitation of the Chinese Minister of National Defence.

The move fuelled speculation in the Indian media of a Chinese role in the government’s decision to void the agreement and evict the GMR-led consortium that took place two days prior to the visit in December.

“Looking at the political situation and political framework in Maldives, I can’t rule out anything,” GMR Airports chief financial officer (CFO) Sidharth Kapur told journalists in New Delhi in December.

Following official talks between the defence ministers, Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency reported in December that Nazim assured Chinese Minister of National Defence General Liang Guanglie that the Maldives was “willing to cement relations between the two countries and their militaries.”

Chinese companies discuss Maldives’ satellite slot

Former Minister of Communication Dr Ahmed Shamheed told Minivan News in December 2012 that Defence Minister Nazim had met with two Chinese companies interested in operating a satellite designated for the Maldives.

Under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Maldives could be entitled to an “orbital slot” for a satellite.

Because the Maldives’ lacks the capabilities to launch and operate a satellite, the state would have to lease it out to an external party, Shamheed said.

According to Shamheed, Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim had already been approached by various Chinese companies who have expressed interest in the satellite venture.

“At first, I had been involved in casual meetings with these companies, but now it seems to getting more serious. Nazim had even questioned as to why we have not yet signed an agreement with them,” Shamheed alleged.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Maldives a case study of new Chinese consumerism: GTIN

Analysts now know that the best place to learn about Chinese ultra-rich consumers is not the mainland, writes Global Travel Industry News.

Rather the Maldives, double-chain of islands near the equator, proves to be the perfect place to launch a case study of Chinese consumerism. In 2010, more than 118,000 Chinese visited the country: a 109 percent increase from the year before, making the Chinese the number-one inbound market of the Maldives. Tourists here have helped form the new profile of Chinese consumers.

More Chinese are traveling overseas from smaller cities, places where growing middle classes are accumulating more wealth and do not face the financial pinch of rising housing prices and inflation felt by similar demographics in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, which, according to Vincent Liu, a partner at BCG in Hong Kong, will eventually impact the spending power of travelers from first-tier cities.

“Many of them are richer than those from major cities,” says Roger Wang, head of Lukintl, a Beijing-based tour company that has taken thousands of Chinese to America since it was founded in 1996. “The tourists from the main cities are mostly from the middle class, while tourists from smaller cities are millionaires or government officials. Usually they have strong spending power.”

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Chinese tourist found dead near Sun Island Resort

A 36 year-old Chinese tourist was found dead off the coast of Sun Island Resort and Spa yesterday afternoon, police have reported.

Police did not identify the tourist but stated that he was last seen snorkeling with other tourists staying on the island.

”His body was discovered by another tourist on the island,” police said in a statement. ”He was declared dead by the resort’s health centre.”

Tourists snorkeling with the man reported his disappearence to the reception. Resort staff searched for the man before his body was discovered by another tourist.,

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the body had been brought to Male’, and police were now investigating the incident.

The resort had not responded to enquiries at time of press.

Chinese visitors last year numerically constituted one of the largest tourism markets for the Maldives, with off-season arrivals from China compensating for the impact of the economic crisis in traditional European markets.

However last year Chinese tourists also made up a disproportionate number of tourist fatalities, usually while snorkeling.

In September 2010 a 48-year old Chinese woman who had been snorkeling at Paradise Island Resort and Spa was pronounced dead after she was pulled from the water and rushed to ADK hospital.

In mid-August 2010 a Chinese couple holidaying in the Maldives disappeared from their resort after they went for a swim.

The 38 year-old woman and 40 year-old man were holidaying with their 13 year-old daughter on the Hilton Irufushi Beach and Spa Resort in Noonu Atoll.

On March 14, police received a report that a Chinese national, Rui Dai, died while snorkelling at Holiday Inn Kandooma Resort, South Malé Atoll.

Earlier that same month another Chinese man died while snorkeling at Chaaya Lagoon Hakurahura Island Resort, less than a day after a German tourist died in a snorkeling accident at Embudu Village Island Resort.

A top UK transplant surgeon, Ali Bakran, also died in the water while snorkeling at the Adaaran Meedhupparu Resort in Raa Atoll last year.

Mohamed Ibrahim ‘Sim’ from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) last year stated that Chinese guests in particular needed to be made more aware of the dangers of snorkeling in the Maldives, “because it is a totally different environment than what they are used to.”

While UK tour operators passed on advice and information to tourists, China was a relatively new market “and the operators need to be made aware also,” Sim added.

“Few resorts have reception staff or guides who speak Mandarin.”

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)