In an apparent bid to woo Indian tourists back to the Maldives, a major tourism body has announced that it will hold road shows across key Indian cities. As the number of Indian tourists to the Maldives continues to decline, the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) held discussions with India’s High Commissioner, Munu Mahawar, on enhancing travel and tourism cooperation between the two countries.
A full-blown backlash was directed at the Maldives following derogatory remarks against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media by three Maldivian officials after the Indian PM posted photos and video of the pristine Lakshadweep Islands on India’s west coast on January 6 on his X handle.
MATATO said in a statement that they expressed their intention to collaborate closely with the Indian High Commission in Maldives to bolster tourism initiatives, Sun.mv news portal reported.
“In this trajectory, plans are currently underway to launch comprehensive road shows across key Indian cities and to facilitate influencer and media familiarisation trips to the Maldives in the upcoming months,” it said quoting from the statement.
“While India remains a crucial tourist market to the Maldives, MATATO states they look forward to partnering with prominent travel associations and industry stakeholders across India to further promote the Maldives as a premier travel destination,” it said.
According to a news report by The Hindu, the association also attributed its meeting with the Indian High Commissioner as “a testament to MATATO’s continued dedication to fostering robust tourism ties between the Maldives and India,” which it said, will pave the way for “transformative collaborations to drive sustainable growth in the region’s tourism sector.” Earlier before this diplomatic row erupted, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu had, within hours of taking oath last November, asked India to withdraw its 88 military personnel from the country, saying their presence was a threat to his country’s sovereignty.
