Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal announced that relations between India and the Maldives have been improving since President Mohamed Muizz attended the inauguration ceremony of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking to PSM in a telephone interview from New Delhi, Faisal expressed confidence that India would be among the top three tourist sending countries to the Maldives by the end of this year.
Tensions between the Maldives and India earlier this year sparked a backlash and calls to boycott the country, with prominent Bollywood stars, leading politicians and key figures in the tourism industry joining the movement.
To combat this and boost tourism, the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), National Hotels and Guest Houses Association of Maldives (NHGAM) and Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) are jointly organising a roadshow to promote Maldivian tourism in India.
“This initiative will boost tourism to a great extent,” Faisal said. “During my visit, I will be meeting various Indian dignitaries including ministers, film stars and businessmen. Relations between India and Maldives are looking very good, especially following President Muizz’s recent official visit to India.”
The roadshow will take place in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The first event will kick off in New Delhi on Tuesday and is expected to be attended by over 150 Indian tourism industry stakeholders.
“Last year, India became our largest market with over 200,000 tourists. This year we have already recorded 71,000 tourists from India. Our target is to make India one of the top three sending markets by the end of the year,” Faisal added.
