Amidst a wave of cancellations by Indian tourists triggered by a diplomatic dispute over offensive remarks from Maldivian ministers aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, currently on an official visit to China, has appealed to China to "intensify" efforts to boost tourism to the Maldives. Speaking at the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province, Muizzu praised China as the Maldives' "closest" ally and expressed a desire to strengthen efforts for China to regain its status as the top market for Maldives, a position held before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This appeal follows the suspension of reservations by Indian tourists, which resulted from the aforementioned diplomatic row. President Muizzu also commended China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project and expressed the Maldives' willingness to participate in it. The two nations have inked a USD 50 million deal to develop an integrated tourism zone on the Indian Ocean island.
It's worth noting that the Maldivian government took action by suspending three deputy ministers for their derogatory social media posts following Prime Minister Modi's tourism promotion for Lakshadweep. The subsequent cancellation of vacation plans by Indian travelers and the suspension of flights to the Maldives by EaseMyTrip further heightened tensions.
In 2023, India contributed the highest number of visitors to the Maldives, with 209,198 arrivals, followed by Russia with 209,146 arrivals, and China with 187,118 arrivals, placing third in terms of tourist numbers.
