A post by the Indian Prime Minister might have sparked a major controversy between India and Maldives. The government of Maldives finally issued a statement clarifying its distance from the derogatory remark made by its ministers for India. But this tells us how important India is for Maldives’ economy. A country that relies highly on tourism cannot afford to irritate its biggest customer base.
Amidst the calls for a boycott of Maldives as a tourist destination, a data reveal has shown how much the Indians love spending time in the island country of Maldives. After derogatory remarks were made by three ministers of Maldives, an outrage resulted in a call for boycott of Maldives tourism. Even some companies stopped bookings of Maldives bound flights.
The data revealed tells us that Indians are the biggest group to visit Maldives for tourism. They have consistently held the position for many years now. According to it, a total of more than 2 lakh Indians traveled to Maldives in a year. We are ahead of Russia and China who usually account for a majority of international tourists.
The government of Maldives suspended the three ministers as soon as the outrage surfaced. Its attempt for damage control indicates the impact a boycott can have on Maldives economy.
