'Please be a part of Maldives' tourism': Minister's call to Indian tourists

Speaking to PTI in Dubai, Maldivian tourism minister Ibrahim Faisal highlighted the historical ties between his country and India.

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"We have a history. Our newly elected government also wants to work together (with India). We always promote peace and a friendly environment. Our people and the government will give a warm welcome to Indian arrivals. As the Tourism Minister, I want to tell Indians to please be a part of Maldives' tourism. Our economy depends on tourism," he said.

The island country faced a major backlash after three Maldivian officials made derogatory remarks against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X. This happened shortly after Modi shared photos and videos of the Lakshadweep Islands on India's west coast.

A call to boycott Maldives started trending soon on social media. Tourism statistics showed a significant decline, with India's ranking dropping from the top to the sixth position after January.

A sun.mv report published on Monday revealed a significant decline of 42 per cent in tourists from India visiting the country during the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year.

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Tourism Ministry statistics indicate that as of May 4, the Maldives welcomed a total of 43,991 tourist arrivals from India, whereas during the same period last year, there were 73,785 arrivals, PTI reported.

The sharp drop in Indian tourists is because of the strained relations between India and the Maldives following the inauguration of pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu's new administration in November last year.

Muizzu reiterated his election pledge to remove Indian military personnel from the country since taking office as president in November. Muizzu forced the withdrawal of 88 Indian military personnel stationed at three aviation platforms gifted by India.

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On Friday, India and the Maldives reassessed the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Indian Ocean archipelago, a process insisted upon by Male to be completed by May 10. The fourth session of a bilateral high-level core group, responsible for supervising the substitution of Indian military personnel with civilian experts, took place in New Delhi.

Muizzu has also accused India of interfering in Maldives' affairs. Following last year's presidential victory on an "India Out" plank, Muizzu, aligning more closely with China, designated May 10 as the cutoff date for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel.

Additionally, Muizzu has pursued measures to diminish the Maldives' reliance on India across various sectors, including maritime security, healthcare, and food security. He achieved this by sealing agreements with Sri Lanka, China, and Turkey for medical services, food supplies, and military equipment.