Photo taken on July 3, 2018 shows the scene of a forum on China-Maldives Tourism Cooperation in Male, Maldives. A forum on China-Maldives Tourism Cooperation was held in the Maldives on Tuesday to expand tourism between the two countries and attract more Chinese tourists to visit the holiday islands. (Xinhua/Tang Lu)

MALE, July 3 (Xinhua) -- A forum on China-Maldives Tourism Cooperation was held in the Maldives on Tuesday to expand tourism ties between the two countries and attract more Chinese tourists to visit the holiday islands.

The forum was attended by government officials and leading travel operators from both Maldives and China.

Maldivian Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer said at the forum that Chinese tourists had contributed immensely to the tourism of Maldives and apart from the infrastructural development, China had also been the No.1 country in tourist arrival for the past few years.

"This particular forum is an important step in our efforts to increase the number of Chinese tourists, as well as to enhance the relationship between the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative, which we aim to attract at least 1 million Chinese tourists per year in the coming five years," Minister Zameer said.

"In addition, under the Belt and Road Initiative, Maldives now anticipate more Chinese investors to the country," he added.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Lizhong said this forum was the first event co-organized by the tourism ministries of China and Maldives and it was an important measure to implement the consensus of the two countries and deepen the cooperation in various fields including tourism.

The ambassador said China-Maldives mutual beneficial cooperation has brought concrete benefits to the Maldivian people, and is completely in the common interest of the people of the two countries.

Du Jiang from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism said more Chinese tourists see the Maldives as the first choice for vacation, family trip and honeymoon.

He said the Chinese side is willing to deepen industrial cooperation with the Maldives in the spirit of mutual benefit, openness and inclusiveness, and provide policy, information and legal support for Chinese companies to make tourism investment and operate tourism business in the Maldives.

The forum was co-organized by the Maldives Tourism Ministry, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Chinese Embassy in Maldives.

During the forum, a Memorandum of Understanding between China Association of Travel Service and Maldives Association of Tourism Industry was signed.