(July 26, 2025) The Maldives, long adored by Indian travellers for its turquoise waters and luxury escapes, may soon reclaim its spot on the Indian holiday map. For years, its idyllic beaches made it a go-to for honeymooners, Bollywood celebrities, and urban professionals looking to unplug with many making multiple trips to the island nation over the years. For Indians with an appetite for global experiences, the Maldives had become a symbol of aspirational travel. They looked at it as foreign destination that felt both exotic and accessible due to its proximity to India, until a diplomatic rift disrupted the travel tide.
In January 2024, the island nation faced a massive boycott after three of its officials mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sparking calls from Indian citizens and celebrities to shun the sun-kissed getaway in favour of domestic beaches like Lakshadweep. But the waves are turning now.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the Maldives, where he is the Guest of Honour at the island nation’s 60th Independence Day celebrations signals a powerful moment of soft diplomacy that could reopen the travel floodgates. The booming Indian travel industry is in an upbeat mood, anticipating that it will open the gates for Indian tourists to the Maldives once again.
PM Modi was received in Maldives by President Mohamed Muizzu
Better relations ahead
Speaking to Global Indian, Reena Sachdev, Founder of Travel Arena says many Indians used to visit Maldives not once, but multiple times until the controversy erupted and strained the relations between the two nations.“With Modi now visiting the Maldives, it is bound to make these relations better. Any destination travel happens in waves, when the wave was riding high, everybody was there and when relationships strained, people avoided Maldives,” she says.
In her perspective Maldives serves as the best destination for those looking for a holiday for three-four nights. “Maldives generates massive income from tourism, especially from India,” she points out.
Short memories, renewed demand
“Be it Maldives or any other destination, the memory of everybody here in India is usually short-lived,” feels Reena, while pointing out that excessive tourism in Maldives was another reason why Indians were avoiding it, besides the controversy.
“We are already looking at an increase of about 25 to 30 percent in demand. This is a percentage for the luxury segment alone. Overall, I expect it to go up by 40 per cent when compared to last year,” adds Reena.
Reena Sachdev, Founder of Travel Arena
A positive turn and new tourism trend
Nehaa Mehrotra Suri, Founder and Creative Director of Foreign Wedding Planners believes that with Modi’s visit, the diplomatic tensions between the two nations is bound to ease, marking a positive turn for the travel industry.
“Travel platforms and agents are already witnessing a renewed interest in Maldivian packages, especially for the upcoming festive and winter travel season,” Nehaa tells Global Indian.
The island nation is home to coral reefs that are teeming with marine life, including reef sharks, rays, turtles, and schools of colourful fish. Many resorts have house reefs just a few steps from the shore, making it easy to spot sea life, which is a huge hit with tourists.
Reclaiming market share
Before the diplomatic fallout, over 240,000 Indian tourists visited the Maldives in 2023, accounting for a significant share of its tourism. “This renewed interest could restore Maldives’ pre-boycott momentum,” says Nehaa. “The diplomatic thaw not only benefits the island nation’s economy but also signals the power of soft diplomacy in shaping tourism trends.”
She mentions that with relations normalizing, travel experts are optimistic. “Indian tourist arrivals could rebound sharply—potentially rising by 30–40 percent over the next few months compared to the slump earlier this year.”
Nehaa Mehrotra Suri, Founder and Creative Director, Foreign Wedding Planners
‘Dekho apna desh’
It all began with PM Modi’s picturesque post on social media about Lakshadweep in January 2024. Lakshadweep is part of the same island chain in the Laccadive Sea as the Maldives.
In the post, Modi encouraged Indians to ‘dekho apna desh’ and explore India’s own tropical gems. But the simple message snowballed into a major controversy after Maldivian ministers and officials made derogatory remarks against the Prime Minister.
Indians hit back instantly using hashtags like #BoycottMaldives and #VisitLakshadweep on social media. It even led popular online ticketing platforms such as EaseMyTrip, MakeMyTrip, and Ixigo taking part in the row in their own way by suspending all flight bookings to Maldives, while other platforms witnessed a massive surge in searches for Lakshadweep.
Major market, deep decline
The numbers speak for themselves. In 2024, Indians visiting Maldives declined by around 37.47 percent and total Indian tourist arrivals to Maldives declined to 1.30 lakh in 2024 against over 240,000 in 2023.
In January 2024, PM Modi shared this picture and several more from his Lakshadweep visit
India has remained a major market for Maldives tourism sector for the past several years with it being among the top 10 markets for the past decade-and-a-half.
In fact, India was among the top five markets for Maldives for almost a decade from 2015-2023. It maintained the number one position in market share of tourist arrivals to Maldives for four years continuously from 2020.
Over the last decade, there has been a steady rise in the number of Indian tourists visiting the island nation, where snorkelling and diving are two of the most popular activities.
Signs of a bounceback
Purvi Jyot Jhaveri, Founder and Experience Curator of Sunday Pure Holidays says arrivals from India remained weak early this year. “There were only around 28,900 Indian tourists by March, down from 33,300 at the same time in 2024.”
However, says Purvi, targeted efforts by Maldives (roadshows, Bollywood promotions, new direct flights) and a diplomatic reset have helped stem the decline and begin a recovery.
“Modi’s visit will significantly boost Indian tourist arrivals, especially with improved connectivity and restored goodwill. Maldives has set a goal of 300,000 Indian tourist arrivals in 2025, up from 130,800 in 2024 and not far from the 209,000 in 2023,” Purvi tells Global Indian, adding that a return of Indian travellers will boost occupancy, F&B sales, and regional air connectivity.
Purvi Jyot Jhaveri, Founder and Experience Curator, Sunday Pure Holidays
Phuket, Krabi, and Bali in the Interim
During the diplomatic chill, Indian tourists looked elsewhere. “Ever since the derogatory remarks, all the tour operators and travel agents had shut down the entire circuit,” says Manish Sharma, Chairman of Gujarat-based Akshar Travels. “Instead of Maldives, tourists travelled to Phuket, Krabi, and Bali. Now that the relations seem to be improving, people will surely want to visit Maldives again.”
The soft power of a diplomacy and tourism
Prime Minister Modi’s diplomatic visit to the Maldives may be as symbolic as it is strategic. For a region whose lifeblood is tourism, and where perception drives booking, the presence of India’s leader could be just the nudge needed to revive a lost love story.
And with India’s outbound tourism market among the fastest growing in the world, the Maldives has every reason to roll out the red carpet again.
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