(MENAFN- NewsIn Asia)
By Ibrahim H. Shihab/Maldives Republic
Male, Septemher 26: The Maldives has, over the past two years, seen a drop of over 55,000 in tourists visiting the country from India, statistics from the Ministry of tourism show.
According to the Ministry, 146,057 tourists from India visited the Maldives as of 24 September last year. However, as of the 24th of this month, only 88,202 tourists from India had visited-57,855 fewer compared to last year.
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Year
tourist Arrivals
2018
90,474
2019
166,030
2020
62,960
2021
291,787
2022
241,382
2023
208,430 (as of 26 December)
2024
88,202 (as of 24 September)
(Number of tourist arrivals from India)
The number of tourist arrivals from India declined after three deputy ministers with the Mohamed Muizzu administration, as well as other senior officials, insulted and criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid-all Deputy Ministers at the Ministry of Youth, Employment, Information and Arts-had openly insulted India and top Indian officials, leading to an active suspension, with pay, from their positions, which has now lasted for eight months.
As a result, several Indian social media activists, Bollywood stars, and celebrities launched a staunch campaign calling on Indians to boycott the Maldives, resulting in the current slump in arrivals.
However, the Muizzu administration is now undertaking several efforts to improve relations with India, with campaigns such as 'Welcome India,' while also participating in tourism expos across India.
Despite the slowdown in the Indian market, the total number of tourists from China and Western European countries has increased.
As of the 24th of this month, approximately 1.45 million tourists have visited the Maldives, a 10 percent increase over last year. On average, 5,465 tourists arrive daily, with average stays recorded as 7.7 days per visitor, according to the Ministry of Tourism statistics.
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