“We are seeing a 40% drop in bookings over the last two days,” Ankit Chaturvedi, vice president and global head of marketing at the India-based travel software company said.
Travel bookings to the Maldives tumbled following a diplomatic row that erupted last week after a series of posts appeared on India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s X account.
The posts showed him snorkeling, sitting by the water and meeting people in Lakshadweep, a union territory of India, which some viewed as a veiled attempt to siphon visitors away from the island nation.
Amid reports of canceling trips to the Maldives, a prominent Indian travel booking website, EaseMyTrip, announced that it is suspending flight bookings from India to the Maldives.
Some travel agents in India even recommending travelers go to the Indian archipelago of Lakshadweep, the Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands or Sri Lanka instead, according to the daily, India Express.
Some blamed Modi’s posts for setting off the debacle even though they did not mention the Maldives, which has lost favor in India following the 2023 election of President Mohamed Muizzu who on an “India out” policy and broke with long-standing tradition by choosing China instead of India for his first official state visit.
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