Maldives tourist association reach Indian Commissioner to help boost tourism

In January 2024 there was a dispute between India and Maldives over the derogatory comments by the Maldives ministers on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After this Indian tourists visiting Maldives drastically dropped. India was one of the major contributors to the tourism industry of Maldives. 

The tour and travel association has recently reached out to India’s High Commissioner over the decline in Indian tourists to the Maldives. MATATO (Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators) has met Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar to discuss the efforts to promote tourism in Maldives.

India was the major contributor to Maldives’ tourism. It was a famous destination in India, especially for males but the Lakshwadeep pitch by PM Narendra Modi led to a extreme downfall. Although the Maldives Government suspended those Ministers but Indians started boycotting Maldives and the Internet and social media were trending with hashtags including “Boycott Maldives”. 

Within a few weeks number of tourists visiting Maldives was hit by a huge number. Over the last three years 2 lakh Indians visited Maldives annually. In 2023 alone out of 17 lakh tourists who visited Maldives 2 lakh were Indians. According to the latest data, this number has gradually fallen from 2 lakh to 36,000 which is a huge decline. 

In a statement by MATATO India remains a substantial market for Maldives tourism. They look forward to partnering with famous tourist partners to boost Maldives tourism from India. They are sure that with the support of the government and local partners “Maldives will gain tourists from India”.