On Monday, EaseMyTrip, a major Indian travel platform, indefinitely suspended flight bookings to the Maldives due to derogatory social media posts against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by now-suspended Maldivian ministers, straining relations between the two nations. Prashant Pitti, EaseMyTrip’s co-founder, cited the derogatory statements as the reason for the decision.
India and Russia, key contributors to the Maldives’ tourism-dependent economy, faced a setback as approximately one-third of the Maldives’ economic activity is linked to tourism. Pitti emphasized the suspension was in response to extremely derogatory remarks from Maldivian government representatives.
Tensions between New Delhi and Male escalated since President Mohamed Muizzu took office, running on an ‘India Out’ campaign. The controversy coincided with Muizzu’s departure to China on his first state visit, deviating from the tradition of Maldivian leaders choosing New Delhi for their initial international visit.
The Maldives government suspended three deputy ministers for their disparaging remarks about Modi, leading many Indians, including celebrities, to promote domestic destinations over the Maldives. In response, New Delhi summoned the Maldivian envoy and expressed concerns.
This incident heavily impacts tourism, the primary foreign exchange earner for the Maldives, as India and Russia contributed the highest number of visitors in the previous year. The Maldives aims to attract 2 million arrivals in 2024
