Maldives Loses Its Appeal For Indian Tourists: A Diplomatic Triumph For China?

Nearly a month after the major diplomatic row that erupted between India and Maldives, with the "boycott Maldives" trend on social media, China overtook New Delhi as the largest source market as more tourists thronged to the Island nation following the visit of President Mohamed Muizzu to Beijing.

Earlier this month, tensions between the two neighbouring nations escalated as an unplanned trip by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Lakshadweep drew criticism from some Maldivian ministers for intriguing the place, reported Hindustan Times.

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This triggered a fight on social media, where the Indian users called to boycott the Maldives and insisted on visiting Lakshadweep, which has similar geographical dynamics.

India Slips to Fifth Position in Maldivian Tourism Rankings After Diplomatic Row

In the aftermath of the diplomatic row, where thousands of Indian tourists announced flight and hotel cancellations in favour of national interest, India has slipped four positions to fifth place in the list of top visitors to the Maldives.

According to the weekly data released by the Maldivian Tourism Ministry, the latest figures show that China has now secured the third position with 12,299 visitors, accounting for 8.5 per cent of the market share, while India occupies the fifth position with 11,424 travellers and a 7.8 per cent market share in the Maldivian travel industry, according to The Print.

Is This A Diplomatic Win For China?

The data could be interpreted as a diplomatic victory for Beijing, as the surge in Chinese tourists could be associated with the recent visit of President Muizzu, as reported by India TV.

During his visit, Muizzu urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to increase the number of tourists visiting Male. "China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and I request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," according to a readout posted on his official website.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the top spot was held by China with over 2.80 lakh tourists, but it struggled to revive its domestic and foreign tourism due to a nearly four-year lockdown policy and the continued slowdown of its economy.

As a result, Chinese tourists who travelled abroad for holidays in millions before COVID-19 were restricting themselves given the economic slowdown.