India Was No. 1 in 2023 and Drops to 5th in Maldives Tourism Rankings

The data, which was collected as of January 28, shows the most recent changes in India and the Maldives’ diplomatic ties

New Delhi: Over the last three weeks, the Maldives has seen a noticeable change in the composition of its visitor base. According to data from the island nation’s tourism ministry, the number of Indian tourists has significantly decreased, moving from third to fifth place.

The data, which was collected as of January 28, shows the most recent changes in India and the Maldives’ diplomatic ties.

The Maldivian government’s official statistics shows the order of countries based on arrivals within the archipelago.

1 Russia: 18,561 arrivals (10.6% market share, Rank 2 in 2023)

2 Italy: 18,111 arrivals (10.4% market share, Rank 6 in 2023)

3 China: 16,529 arrivals (9.5% market share, Rank 3 in 2023)

4 UK: 14,588 arrivals (8.4% market share, Rank 4 in 2023)

5 India: 13,989 arrivals (8.0% market share, Rank 1 in 2023)

6 Germany: 10,652 arrivals (6.1% market share)

7 USA: 6,299 arrivals (3.6% market share, Rank 7 in 2023)

8 France: 6,168 arrivals (3.5% market share, Rank 8 in 2023)

9 Poland: 5,109 arrivals (2.9% market share, Rank 14 in 2023)

10 Switzerland: 3,330 arrivals (1.9% market share, Rank 10 in 2023)

With 209,198 visitors as of December 31 of last year, India ranked first in terms of visitor numbers, accounting for almost 11% of the Maldives’ total tourism revenue for that year. But there was a notable drop in Indian tourism following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s beach trip to Lakshadweep on January 2 and a diplomatic scuffle with the Maldives.

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As a Maldivian minister said that India was deliberately targeting the country and that India was finding it difficult to compete with the Maldives in beach tourism, the dispute gained steam. The two nations’ diplomatic tensions have been rising, particularly since President Mohamed Muizzu took office in November of last year, indicating a change in foreign policy away from the prior “India first” strategy and toward stronger ties with China.

Impeachment procedures against President Muizzu have been sparked by the recent flare-up and have been started by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the main opposition party. President Muizzu is accused by the opposition party of having a pro-China stance, especially in light of the recent and contentious docking of a Chinese surveillance ship in Male, the country’s capital. Following a dispute in parliament, the decision was made to start the impeachment process

With his call for the departure of Indian troops stationed in the Maldives by mid-March, citing their presence as a security danger, President Muizzu’s anti-India rhetoric escalated to unprecedented levels. The MDP denounced the change in policy, calling it “extremely detrimental” to the long-term prosperity of the nation.

Strategically positioned in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives continue to be an important component of India’s regional programs, including “Neighbourhood First Policy” and “SAGAR” (Security and Growth for All in the Region).