BEIJING - Chinese tourists are safe to travel in the Maldives but should stay alert after the country's first democratically elected president resigned on Tuesday following weeks of protests, according to the Chinese embassy in the Maldives.
Most of the Chinese tourists are on scattered islands and not the Maldives capital Male, where the protests occurred, a staff member of the embassy said. "They enquired about whether they can safely return to China as soon as possible."
"As far as I know, police haven't closed down roads or the airport," he said.
Male International Airport remains open, and most of the well-known local hotels in the Maldives are safe to stay at, said Liz Wu, a public relations representative for a group of luxury hotels in the Maldives.
The Maldives embassy in China also posted a notice on its weibo account (micro blog) saying it is safe for tourists to visit the Maldives since the transition to the country's new leader has been peaceful. The president was replaced by his vice-president.
The Chinese embassy has advised the Chinese Foreign Ministry and travel agencies to postpone or cancel trips to the Maldives. "After all, nobody knows if the situation change in the near future," the embassy said.
According to the Shanghai municipal tourism administration, around 370 tourists from Shanghai are stuck in the Maldives.
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