Malé: Amidst a significant decline in Indian tourist arrivals to the Maldives, the country’s tour and travel association has sought assistance from India to reverse the trend. The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) recently met with Munu Mahawar, the Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, to explore collaborative efforts aimed at revitalizing tourism.
Expressing their commitment to enhancing tourism initiatives, the association unveiled plans to conduct comprehensive roadshows across key Indian cities and facilitate influencer and media familiarization trips to the Maldives in the coming months.
The sharp decline in Indian tourist arrivals follows derogatory remarks made against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by three suspended Maldivian ministers in January. This triggered a “BoycottMaldives” campaign on social media, leading to a significant drop in Indian visitors to the island nation.
Previously among the top sources of tourism for Male, Indian tourist arrivals plummeted, with statistics showing a shift from being the top tourist group to the fifth position within a matter of weeks. Despite welcoming over 2 lakh Indian tourists annually in recent years, the Maldives witnessed a steep decline in Indian arrivals in 2023.
The Maldives’ tour association remains optimistic about India’s importance as a key market for Maldivian tourism and seeks to collaborate with Indian travel associations and industry stakeholders to promote the Maldives as a premier travel destination.
Highlighting India’s burgeoning middle class and their growing appetite for international travel, MATATO emphasized the significant potential for tourism growth from India. With forecasts projecting a substantial increase in outbound Indian travelers and their spending by 2030, the Maldives aims to capitalize on this trend to revive its tourism sector.
The association cited industry reports predicting robust expansion in Indian outbound travel, mirroring Euromonitor’s projections. Top destinations like Dubai have already initiated measures to attract Indian tourists, such as the introduction of a five-year multiple-entry visa to bolster travel between India and Dubai.
As the Maldives endeavors to recover from the decline in Indian tourist arrivals, collaboration with India emerges as a strategic opportunity to reignite tourism growth and strengthen bilateral ties in the travel and hospitality sectors.
