The Indian Prime Minister’s vacation sparked a controversy that led to a boycott of the Maldives trip

The tourism row between India and the Maldives was sparked by a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi relaxing on the beach.

This led to a tourism boycott, with Indians avoiding the islands in favor of local destinations.

Modi visited the tiny Indian islands of Lakshadweep, later posting pictures on social media of him relaxing on the “pristine beaches”. The holiday photos were an attempt to promote domestic tourism in the archipelago, which is located in the Laccadive Sea off the coast of Kerala.

Although the posts did not mention other countries, some interpreted Modi’s trip as an attempt to hijack tourists from The Maldives instead to domestic destinations. The comments below soon drew comparisons with many saying it was India’s version of the Maldives.

The row came to a head when, in a series of now-almost-deleted replies to X posts, Maldivian ministers described Modi as a “terrorist”, a “clown” and a “puppet of Israel”.

A number of other Maldivian people also made derogatory remarks about the Indian tourists on the social media site.

Beach photos spark tourism boycott

Three ministers – Malsha Shareef, Maryam Shiuna and Abdullah Mahzoom Majeed – have since been suspended by the Maldivian government for their derogatory comments. A statement said the views were “personal and do not represent the views of the Maldivian government”.

Maldivian Foreign Minister Moussa Zammer also called the officials’ remarks “unacceptable” in an X post that said the country was committed to “fostering a positive and constructive dialogue with our partners.”

But the scandal caused by the travel photos has led to calls for a boycott of travel to the Maldives in favor of domestic destinations in India.

The economy of the Maldives is depends heavily on tourism with travel contributing 28 percent of the country’s GDP, according to the World Bank. An estimated 200,000 people visit India each year – the largest group of any country in 2023.

This includes celebrities from Bollywood actors to cricketers who often post pictures of honeymoons and vacations on sun-kissed beaches on social media.

But now many of these celebrities have posted screenshots on social media showing that they have canceled their trips to the Maldives using the hashtag #BoycottMaldives. Another hashtag, #ChaloLashadweep – meaning “Let’s go to Lakshadweep” – has also been trending, encouraging fans of the stars to head to local destinations instead.

On Monday, one of India’s largest travel sites, EaseMyTrip, suspended flight bookings to the Maldives “in solidarity with our nation”.

Another travel firm, MakeMyTrip, claims to have seen a 3,400 percent increase in searches on its platform for Lakshadweep after Modi’s visit.

In response, the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators sent a letter requesting EaseMyTrip to reopen bookings for flights to the island nation.

“Tourism is the lifeblood of the Maldives, contributing to over two-thirds of our GDP and providing livelihoods to approximately 44,000 Maldivians who work directly in the tourism sector,” it said.

“The potential adverse impact on tourism has the power to unleash dire consequences on our economy, affecting the lives and well-being of many,”

Is this more than just a tourism dispute?

Apart from tourism, India is also a strategic ally of the Maldives, with military personnel and helicopters stationed on the islands. But relations soured after the election of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizu, who is seen as pro-China, in November.

After his election, the archipelago strengthened its cooperation China’s Belt and Road Initiative. which aims to build ports, railways and roads to expand China’s trade and influence in Asia, Africa and Europe.

As tensions rise, a tourism boycott could prove difficult for the newly elected government. On Tuesday, President Muizzou called on China to send more tourists as he travels to the country, amid backlash from Indian tourists.

“China was our No. 1 market before Covid, and my plea is that we step up efforts for China to regain that position,” he said in a speech in southeast China’s Fujian province.