In a bid to bring India back into its top three tourism markets, Maldives has launched an intensive campaign to lure Indian travellers back to the country’s beautiful islands. The move comes after a diplomatic spat last year saw a significant drop in Indian tourists, dropping India to sixth place among Maldives’ tourism markets.
Maldives Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal is currently on a six-day visit to India where he is leading a series of roadshows in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore under the “Welcome India” campaign. Organized by the Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the campaign aims to restore India’s position as a major contributor to Maldivian tourism.
In an interview, Ibrahim Shiuli, CEO and Managing Director, MMPRC, shared his views with The Indian Express on Maldives’ strategic efforts to attract Indian tourists, the current tourist numbers from India and the bilateral tourism ties between the two countries.
“India has been a significant contributor to Maldives’ tourism industry over the years, especially during the pandemic. Currently, India ranks sixth in the top 10 markets this year,” Siury pointed out. “Currently, the top market for the Maldives is China. As of 30 July 2024, a total of 71,381 Indian travellers visited the Maldives, which is 6.1% of the overall tourism market share. We are very hopeful that activities such as this roadshow will further improve this figure and bring India back into the top three markets.”
To restore tourism numbers to last year’s figures, when over 200,000 Indian tourists visited the Maldives, Siury emphasised on a data-driven approach: “To increase tourism numbers from India, we are adopting a data-driven approach that covers everything from destination promotion to accommodation, services and USPs. Through strategic campaigns, we are positioning Maldives as an all-year-round destination. Maldives is an attractive and affordable short-haul destination for Indian travellers and through these initiatives, we aim to consolidate its position as the most preferred holiday destination for Indian tourists.”
Connectivity is a key component of these efforts. “Currently, there are five airlines operating direct flights between India and the Maldives, with multiple flights per week,” said Siuli. “We are actively exploring opportunities to increase flight connectivity by introducing additional direct flights from more cities in India to various parts of the Maldives to further fuel tourism growth in the market.”
Tourism relations between the Maldives and India are not one-sided. Shiuli noted that many Maldivians also visit India for various reasons. “While the Maldives is a top tourist destination for Indians, it is also an important overseas market for the Indian tourism industry. Many Maldivians visit Indian cities such as Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum primarily for medical tourism. India is a popular and trusted option for Maldivians seeking advanced medical care. In addition, a significant number of Maldivians visit India for leisure and shopping. For example, Ooty, which has a completely different geographical profile than the Maldives, is a popular stopover for Maldivians on their way back from shopping-popular cities such as Bangalore and Mumbai.”
