The scintillating archipelago of Maldives has been a haven of beach tourism, luring tourists and adventure lovers from all over the world. Indians have always loved the beautiful sun-kissed beaches and the famous Atolls of Maldives. They were the highest among the visitors to the Maldives until a diplomatic row soured the relationship between the two countries.
Now, official data reveals that the number of Indian tourists to the island nation has dipped significantly. Maldives may not have expected such a reaction from the Indian travellers after one of its ministers made derogatory remarks against the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As per the data, there has been a drop of 42.
2% in the number of Indians visiting Maldives in the first quarter of 2024. This is a significant drop compared to the numbers last year. The diplomatic row that escalated after top-ranking Maldivian ministers made controversial statements about the Indian Prime Minister when he appealed to turn Lakshadweep into the world tourism spot, had adversely affected the island nation’s tourism prospects.
The remarks caused massive outrage among Indians who reacted sharply by cancelling their trips to Maldives. Campaigns and hashtags to boycott the Maldives were widely shared on social media. In January 2023, around 18, 612 Indian travellers had visited Maldives.
However, in January 2024, it came down to 15,003. According to data released by the Maldives Ministry of Tourism, there had been a dip of 19.4%.
