Male: Following Indians boycott Maldives campaign, the number of Indian tourists arriving the island nation continues to dip. The relationship between India and Maldives strained after a few Maldivian officials, including it’s Ministers used derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January after he compared Lakshadweep to the Maldives upon his visit to the Union Territory.
The island country faced severe backlash and a boycott campaign. This has adversely impacted the tourism of the country. To rectify the errors, a major tourism body in the island nation has announced that they will hold roadshows across Indian cities to woo back Indian tourists.
Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) following a discussion with the Indian High Commissioner in Male on April 8 has announced plans to enhance travel and tourism cooperation, including conducting the roadshows.
“MATATO expressed its intention to collaborate closely with the Indian High Commission in Maldives to bolster tourism initiatives. Plans are underway to launch a comprehensive roadshow across key cities in India and to facilitate influencer and media familiarisation trips to the Maldives in the forthcoming months,” the tourism body said in a statement.
The association highlighted India’s importance as a key market for Maldivian tourism. They expressed readiness to collaborate with leading travel associations and industry players in India to enhance the Maldives’ appeal as a top travel destination.
Official data from the Maldives Ministry of Tourism revealed a noticeable decline in Indian tourist arrivals following a diplomatic dispute. In 2023, Indians constituted the largest group among over 1.7 million visitors to the Maldives, with 209,198 arrivals, followed by Russians and Chinese. However, in the aftermath of the diplomatic tensions, Indian arrivals dropped to fifth place within weeks.
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