As the number of Indian tourists arriving in Maldives continues to decline amid the strained diplomatic relations between the two countries, a major tourism body in the island nation has announced that they will hold roadshows across the Indian cities to woo back tourists from India.
The Maldives faced serious backlash and a boycott campaign after multiple Maldivian officials, including ministers of the Mohamed Muizzu government used derogatory remarks against PM Narendra Modi in January 2024 after he compared Lakshadweep to the Maldives upon his visit to the Union Territory.
The main strength of the Maldives comes from tourism, especially Indian tourists who flock there to celebrate their vacations and holidays. Most of the island’s revenue comes from this sector. The insulting remarks made by the Maldivian ministers prompted Indian authorities, tourists, celebrities to boycott Maldives and preferred to travel to Lakshadweep Islands instead.
Soon after Indian tourists boycotted Maldives, its economy witnessed a staggering decline. The economy of the Maldives was shattered to a great extent and it lost its tourism potential significantly.
Mohamed Muizzu, the pro-China president of the island nation hoped that China would come to its rescue, but it didn’t. Sensing the imminent economic threat, Mohamed Muizzu had reached out to India for financial assistance.
In order to restore the spiralling economy, it has now learnt its lesson. Muizzu damaged his relationship with its benevolent true friend and partner, India and the loss is unforgiving for the island nation. The roadshows by tourist associations are also an integral part of restoring the fallen economy. India has taught Maldives its “right place” and “status” in global affairs.
The plans to enhance the travel and tourism cooperation, including conducting roadshows were announced by the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) following a discussion with the Indian High Commissioner in Male on April 8, 2024.
“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 noted that India remains a vital market for Maldivian tourism, adding that they look forward to partnering with prominent travel associations and industry stakeholders across India to further promote the Maldives as a tourist destination.
According to the data released by the Maldives Ministry of Tourism, the country witnessed a notable drop in the number of Indian travellers visiting the island nation following the diplomatic row. In 2023, out of over 17 lakh tourists who visited Maldives, the majority were Indians (209198) followed by the Russians and the Chinese.
However, in weeks following the diplomatic tensions, the number of Indians have slipped into 5th position. The relationship with India and the Maldives took a sharp turn in the recent past after the pro-China president came to power in November last year.
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