The Maldives, a tropical tourist paradise in the Indian Ocean is appealing to Indian travelers to visit the country and contribute to its economy. This plea is coming in the midst of the ongoing dispute between New Delhi and Malé, as the archipelago country seeks to distance itself from India and strengthen its ties with Beijing under President Mohamed Muizzu.
According to the statement from the Maldives’ Tourism Minister, Ibrahim Faisal, that urged Indians to be a part of the Maldives’ tourism industry and emphasized the country’s dependence on tourism for its economy, Indian tourists would receive the most warm welcome upon their return.
The Maldives tourism official’s appeal was apparently prompted by a significant decline in the number of Indian holidaymakers visiting the resort islands. This sudden plunge in tourist numbers was a result of a boycott of the Maldives by Indian travel companies and individual tourists, following a diplomatic dispute earlier this year.
The conflict between India and the Maldives arose from Muizzu’s apparent attempt to lessen India’s influence in the islands while strengthening ties with Beijing, which has vowed the archipelago nation with promises of significant investments in the country’s infrastructure. As a result, Muizzu requested India to recall approximately 80 military personnel assigned to operate and pilot two Dornier aircraft and a helicopter provided by India for emergency rescue missions in the Maldives.
Muizzu had also made a statement implying that “no nation” had the authority to “intimidate” Maldives, with New Delhi being perceived as its target. Indian officials responded by saying that those who bully others do not offer financial assistance of $4.5 billion when their neighbors are in need. The statement was in refference to India’s Neighborhood First Policy, which provided financial aid to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka during their economic crises, supplying them with COVID-19 vaccines, investing in infrastructure projects, and continuing to deliver essential food items despite domestic shortages and international export restrictions.
Also, in January, few ministers in the Maldives government have made public comments on social media that were perceived in India as “derogatory” towards the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, creating a significant strain in relations between the two countries.
At the beginning of the year, Indians were the largest group of foreign tourists visiting the islands, but their count has now dropped to sixth place due to the political rift. The number of Indian visitors to the Maldives in the first quarter of this year was 34,847, compared to 56,208 during the same period last year.
