Despite not even being among the top 10 locations for Indian tourists traveling abroad, the Maldives' economy depends on India for tourism. Furthermore, when people are planning a vacation, the Maldives isn't even in the top searches. How did the Maldives' sun-kissed beaches pique the interest of selfie-obsessed Indians? And where are Indian tourists going if the Maldives isn't one of the Top 10 destinations on their trip itinerary? In order to finalize their travel arrangements, we will also ascertain which popular locations Indians looked up in the previous year (2023).
Everything began when Prime Minister Modi shared pictures of the stunning terrain of Lakshadweep from an unconnected trip there. There has been discussion online and in certain media outlets about Lakshadweep being promoted as a tourism destination in opposition to the Maldives. Somehow, this incited three parliamentarians from the Maldives to publish racist and disparaging remarks about Indians and Prime Minister Modi. As a result, the Maldives faced intense criticism from India, and the hashtag "Boycott Maldives" went viral. In the meantime, tourist's interest in Lakshadweep surged.
Approximately one-third of the Maldivian economy is reliant on tourism, according to the World Bank. India is the main source country for tourists visiting the Maldives. Second is Russia. In 2023, more than two lakh Indian travelers vacationed in the Maldives. For India, two lakh tourists may not seem like much, but in the Maldives, they make up 11% of the total number of visitors.
Based on data from the Maldives Tourism Ministry, the number of Indian visitors to the island nation increased from 90,474 in 2018 to over two lakh in 2023. From 6.1% of all visitors to the Maldives in 2023, the percentage of Indian tourists increased to above 11%. It was time for some "revenge tourism" after being imprisoned for months, and the statistics supported this idea. 2021 saw the biggest number of Indian tourists to the Maldives ever, at about three lakh. 22% of all arrivals on the Island were made up of this number.
