Maldives Tourism Minister urges Indian tourists to visit

The number of Indian tourists visiting the Maldives has declined due to strained bilateral relations. To tackle this problem, Maldivian Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal has urged Indians to contribute to the country’s economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism. In an interview with PTI Videos, he highlighted the historic relations between India and Maldives and expressed the newly elected government’s desire to work with India. He added that his country always promotes peace and a friendly environment and that Indian tourists would be warmly welcomed.

After three Maldivian officials made derogatory comments against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media, many Indians, including several celebrities, canceled their reservations and dropped plans to visit the Maldives. This resulted in India’s ranking dropping from highest to sixth in the top tourism markets. Statistics from the Ministry of Tourism in the Maldives show that the number of tourists from India has decreased by 42 percent in the first four months of 2021 compared to the same period last year.

The report attributes the decline in the number of Indian tourists to the strained relations between India and the Maldives after President Mohamed Muizzu came to power in November 2020. President Muizzu, who is seen as a pro-China leader, had promised during his election campaign to expel Indian soldiers. personnel from the country. After coming to power, he forced the withdrawal of the 88 Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms donated by India to the Maldives, accusing India of interfering in his country’s affairs.

It is worth noting that Maldives is India’s most important maritime neighbor in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and holds a special place in initiatives such as ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the ‘Neighborhood First Policy ‘ from India. the Modi government.

(With inputs from PTI)