From topping tourist arrival chart to 5th spot: Indians snub Maldives amid diplomatic spat

New Delhi: Indians, once the top source of tourists for the Maldives, have plummeted to fifth position in just three weeks, amidst a diplomatic row between New Delhi and Male. Official data from the Maldives Ministry of Tourism reveals a significant decline in Indian visitors to the island nation.

Over 2 lakh Indians visited Maldives annually in the last three years, the highest from any country post-COVID 19 pandemic, the data showed.

However, the travel hotspot for Indians is now facing a backlash after three ministers from the Maldives cabinet made derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his visit to Lakshadweep earlier this month.

According to recent statistics, Maldives received a total of over 1.74 lakh tourists until January 28 this year, with only 13,989 being Indians. The top positions are now occupied by Russia with 18,561 tourists, followed by Italy (18,111), China (16,529), and the UK (14,588). Germany ranks sixth, followed by the USA, France, Poland, and Switzerland.

In 2023, over 17 lakh tourists visited the Maldives, with the majority being Indians (2,09,198), followed by Russians (2,09,146) and Chinese (1,87,118). In 2022, the number of Indian visitors exceeded 2.4 lakh, and in 2021, it was over 2.11 lakh. The Maldives remained open for international tourists during the pandemic, attracting nearly 63,000 Indian visitors.

India was the fifth-largest source of tourist arrivals in the Maldives in 2018, with 90,474 visitors, and reached the second spot in 2019, with 1.66 lakh Indians visiting the country.

Many netizens on social media claimed that they have cancelled their scheduled trips to the Maldives because of the row, with the hashtag “Boycott Maldives” trending on X for several days this month.

Joining the ‘boycott campaign’, EaseMyTrip, an online travel aggregator, had announced it has suspended all flight bookings to the island nation on its website “in solidarity” with India.

Meanwhile, the government of the Maldives had suspended three of its deputy ministers after they criticised Modi for his post on X following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

The Maldivian foreign ministry had said that the government is aware of the “derogatory remarks” made on social media platforms against foreign leaders and that their personal views do not represent the country’s position.

Situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is home to nearly 1,200 tiny coral islands that stretch along a length of 871 kilometres. From personalised spa treatments to adventure sports activities to world-class cuisine, the island nation offers myriad experiences, making it a great choice for visitors.

The beautiful beaches and the island experience, coupled with affordable airfare that is even cheaper than the cost of travel to some Indian cities, have been a big draw for Indian tourists.