Amid deteriorating bilateral relations between New Delhi and Male, the number of Indian tourists to Maldives has dropped by 33 per cent, Male-based Adhadhu reported citing data from the tourism ministry. By March 4 last year, 41,054 Indian tourists visited the Maldives but this number came down to 27,224 by March 2 this year – a drop of 13,830 tourists.
The decline is the result of a campaign asking Indian tourists to visit the country’s Lakshadweep islands instead of the Maldives. This was done after three former deputy ministers made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Till March last year, India was the second largest source market for tourists to the Maldives with a 10 per cent market share, the report said. However, India is now in sixth place on the list with a six per cent market share. While the number of Indian tourists has dropped, the number of Chinese tourists has surged in recent months.
India was the top tourist market for the Maldives in…
