India is expected to become the third largest supplier of tourists to the Maldives following the “Welcome India” tourism promotion event held in three Indian cities last week, Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal said.
The event, jointly organised by the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) and the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) and held in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, was part of efforts to address the decline in tourist arrivals from India following the controversy over the defaming of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by several deputy ministers of the Maldives government.
Speaking at the MMPRC office on Thursday, Faisal highlighted that the event had garnered significant attention from both the Indian tourism industry and the media. Key takeaways from the event included:
- Maldives resort operator attracts new customers from Indian market
- Large number of Indian travel agents participating in the roadshow
- Meetings with India’s Tourism Minister and Civil Aviation Minister resulted in a government-level agreement aimed at increasing tourism.
Faisal said the Welcome India Roadshow has garnered positive media coverage in India and has witnessed strong participation and engagement from Maldivian tourism groups, including Sun Siyam Resort. Despite a 42% decline in Indian tourists this year, Faisal expressed optimism that these initiatives will position India as a top three source market for the Maldives.
The Minister stressed that joint efforts are needed to achieve this goal and noted that India is a nearby and promising market for Maldives’ tourism industry. Millions of Indian tourists travel abroad every year, but the Maldives is yet to fully tap this potential. The goal is to attract one million Indian tourists to the Maldives within the next five years and the plan includes:
- Increase in flights between India and Maldives
- Indian influencers appointed as ambassadors to promote Maldives on social media
- Introducing the Maldives in Indian films
Faisal also spoke about the ongoing efforts to improve relations between India and the Maldives and hinted at more efforts to strengthen the relationship. He said he has met with major Indian travel agencies that had suspended bookings to the Maldives and hopes they will resume operations in the country.
Faisal reiterated that the current government led by President Mohamed Muizz aims to build good relations with all countries. He noted that tourism serves as a key link between countries. Faisal also announced plans to introduce services such as rupee cards to enable Indian tourists and investors in the Maldives to transact in Indian rupees.
