India-Maldives diplomatic relations have cooled since Mohamed Muizzu’s government took office last year, leading to calls from social media influencers to boycott the Maldives. The Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Lakshadweep in January fueled these sentiments, urging travelers to choose the Indian archipelago over its Indian Ocean neighbor. As diplomatic tensions simmer, Maldives is losing favor among Indian tourists, with numbers dwindling significantly.
Data from the Maldives Ministry of Tourism reveals a sharp 50% decline in Indian tourists during the April to June quarter of 2024, with just 28,604 visitors compared to 54,207 in the same period last year. Meanwhile, Lakshadweep’s only airport in Agatti saw passenger traffic double, handling 22,990 passengers compared to 11,074 last year. The surge was supported by increased flight operations, including new services from IndiGo and Fly91, quadrupling available seats to Lakshadweep.
Conversely, the Maldives recorded a 9.2% overall increase in tourist arrivals, primarily driven by a surge in Chinese visitors. Chinese tourists topped the charts with 1.2 lakh visitors in the first half of 2024, pushing India to sixth place in the tourism market.
Flight data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows a drop in flight connectivity between India and Maldives, with June 2024 recording just 44 weekly departures compared to 59 in June 2022. As Indian carriers expand routes to new destinations like Bali, Jakarta, Baku, and Tbilisi, travelers are exploring alternative destinations with visa-free or visa-on-arrival options, often at more competitive costs.
With Southeast Asian destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia offering similar beach experiences, the Maldives faces growing competition. While the nation continues to draw tourists, the drop in Indian visitors raises questions about whether the Maldives will seek to restore its lost Indian market or focus on other emerging markets to keep its tourism numbers robust.
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