Maldives News: After the diplomatic dispute with India, there has been a significant decline in the number of Indian tourists coming to Maldives for tourism. Of the more than 17 lakh tourists who visited Maldives in 2023, the majority were Indians (2,09,198), followed by Russians and Chinese.
New Delhi: It is proving costly for Maldives to mess with India under the influence of China. The situation has reached such a stage that due to lack of Indian tourists in Maldives, its economy is being adversely affected. This is the reason why Maldives has now come to its knees and is planning to hold road shows in Indian cities to woo tourists. In fact, the number of Indian tourists reaching Maldives continues to decline amid tense diplomatic relations between the two countries. This is why a major tourism body in Maldives has announced that they will organize road shows in Indian cities to woo Indian tourists back.
Let us tell you that Maldives had to face a boycott campaign from Indian tourists when Prime Minister Narendra Modi compared Lakshadweep with Maldives during his visit to the Union Territory in January this year, after which many including Maldivian ministers. Officials had made derogatory remarks against PM Modi. After controversial comments by Maldives, Indians started boycotting Maldives and started promoting Lakshadweep as a tourist destination.
Following discussions with the Indian High Commissioner in Male on April 8, the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) had announced plans to enhance travel and tourism cooperation, including organizing road shows in Indian cities, India Today reported. . Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators expressed its intention to collaborate closely with the High Commission of India in Maldives to promote tourism initiatives. “Plans are underway to launch an extensive roadshow across major cities in India and facilitate influencers and media familiarization visits to the Maldives in the coming months,” the tourism body said in a statement.
Not only this, the association said that India remains an important market for Maldives tourism. She said that they look forward to partnering with major travel associations and industry stakeholders across India to promote Maldives as a premier tourist destination. In fact, according to the official data released by the Ministry of Tourism of Maldives, after the diplomatic dispute with India, there has been a significant decline in the number of Indian tourists coming to Maldives for tourism. Of the more than 17 lakh tourists who visited Maldives in 2023, the majority were Indians (2,09,198), followed by Russians and Chinese. However, in the weeks following diplomatic tension, the number of Indians has slipped to fifth place.
