Vice President Faisal Naseem has expressed an interest in promoting Maldives as a  popular tourist destination for Japanese nationals.

The Vice President made the remark during a courtesy call made by the Ambassador of Japan to Maldives, Keiko Yanai.

The latest statistics from the Ministry of Tourism show that Japan brings the ninth most tourists to the Maldives. Maldives is however not the most popular tourist destination among Japanese nationals.

The tourism statistics published by Japan Info in 2015 show that the most popular tourist destination among Japanese nationals are China, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Hawaii, France and Spain are also among the most popular destinations for Japanese nationals.

The meeting at the President's Office today included talks regarding strengthening ties between the two nations. As such, discussions were carried out regarding moving forward with developments in areas of education, sports and healthcare.