Let us tell you that tourism is the mainstay of the economy of Maldives, surrounded by sea on all sides. A large number of Indians come here for holidays. But this situation changed when President Muizu raised the slogan of 'India Out' in his election campaign. After this, relations between the two countries continued to deteriorate. Maldives has also issued an order to evacuate Indian soldiers. These soldiers were engaged in civil works there. A few weeks later, PM Modi released his photo from Lakshadweep, India. After this, comparison between Lakshadweep and Maldives started on social media. After this, some officials including several ministers of Maldives made derogatory comments against India. After this the number of Indian tourists visiting Maldives decreased significantly. Now Maldives is taking steps to compensate for this loss and is trying to improve relations with India. After discussions with the Indian High Commissioner in Male on April 8, the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) plans to expand travel and tourism cooperation, including organizing road shows in several Indian cities.
Maldives Tourism Agency issued a statement saying, 'MATATO has collaborated with the High Commission of India in Maldives to promote tourism initiatives. to cooperate The intention has been expressed, for which preparations are being made to launch an extensive road show in major cities of India. Additionally, influencers and media will be taken on a trip to the Maldives in the coming months to give them a first-hand account of what's going on there. The association said that India remains an important market for Maldives tourism and they will work with major tourism organizations and industry players across India to promote Maldives as a major tourism destination by the Ministry of Tourism of Maldives. According to official data released, there has been a significant decline in the number of Indian tourists visiting the country following the diplomatic dispute. Of the more than 1.7 lakh tourists who visited Maldives in 2023, the majority were Indians (2,09,198). This was followed by Russia and China. However, in the weeks following the diplomatic standoff, the number of Indian tourists has slipped to a fifth.