Several Indian celebrities and social media influencers have joined an online campaign which calls for a boycott of the Maldives and its tourist spots after some Maldivians, including one minister, posted anti-India comments on X (formerly Twitter).
The ongoing tussle involving barbs, trolls, etc. traces its origin to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep, which spurred interest in the Indian island among travel enthusiasts. During his visit, Modi inaugurated several development projects and also explored Lakshadweep’s beautiful beaches. Pictures of Modi while snorkelling in the sea went viral on social media and were top trending on X.
Indian tourists were the highest among visitors to the Maldives till December 2023, data from the country’s tourism ministry showed. According to the Maldives tourism ministry, a total of 17, 57,939 tourists arrived in the island nation till December 13, an increase of 12.6 per cent compared to the 1.5 million arrivals recorded in 2022.
The largest number of tourists who visited the Maldives were from India (2,09,198), followed by Russia (2,09,146) and China (1,87,118).
Meanwhile, The Government of Maldives issuing a statement “The Government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives…Moreover, the relevant authorities of the Government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks.”
