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The mutual visa exemption between China and Maldives has taken effect from Friday, according to an official release from the Department of Consular Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Chinese citizens holding valid Chinese passports are able to stay in Maldives visa-free for no more than 30 days for business and travel purposes such as family visits and transit.  

Ctrip data shows that following the news of the mutual visa exemption, page views of Maldives destination on the platform has sequentially increased by 200% in half an hour.

Since the resumption of outbound group travel on February 6, Maldives-related group travel and "flight ticket+ hotel" package products have become increasingly popular, and Maldives is now among the top five destinations for outbound travel. 

Ctrip data shows that from February 6 to now, searches related to Maldives increased by 150% and bookings of related products increased by more than 50% compared with the same period in January.

According to qunar.com, both Beijing and Shanghai have direct flights to Maldives, with Beijing having three and Shanghai having four every week and prices starting at about 4,400 yuan. Since February, bookings of Maldives hotels has doubled compared with the same period of last month, and the volume is expected to rise following the mutual visa-free policy.