• Source:PTI
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India-Maldives Row: In an apparent attempt to woo Indian tourists back to Maldives, a major tourism body in Male has announced that it will hold roadshows across key Indian cities amid a diplomatic tussle. This comes as the number of Indian tourists to the Maldives continues to decline after the island nation faced severe backlash and a boycott campaign after multiple Maldivian officials used derogatory remarks against Prime inister Narendra Modi after he compared Lakshadweep to the Maldives. 

The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) held discussions with India's High Commissioner, Munu Mahawar, on enhancing travel and tourism cooperation between two countries, as reported by news agency PTI. 

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Following the meeting at the Indian High Commission in Male, MATATO said that they intend to work closely with the Indian High Commission in Maldives to strengthen tourism activities, according to the Sun.mv news portal.

“In this trajectory, plans are currently underway to launch comprehensive road shows across key Indian cities and to facilitate influencer and media familiarisation trips to the Maldives in the upcoming months," MATAO said.

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"While India remains a crucial tourist market to the Maldives, MATATO states they look forward to partnering with prominent travel associations and industry stakeholders across India to further promote the Maldives as a premier travel destination," it further added.

According to the Maldives' Ministry of Tourism, China led the way with 71,995 tourists this year as of April 10, followed by the United Kingdom (66,999), Russia (66,803), Italy (61,379), Germany (52,256), and India (37,417).

India-Maldives Row: 

The diplomatic relations between India and Maldives soured after Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, widely seen as pro-Chinese, vowed after assuming charge that he would keep his election promise of evicting Indian military personnel from the island nation.

A row erupted between India and Maldives after some Maldivian politicians including ministers made derogatory remarks about PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep. Maldives minister Abdulla Mahzoom Majid claimed in a social media post that India is shifting focus from Maldives by promoting Lakshadweep as another tourist spot. However, following massive backlash online, the island nation suspended three ministers from their posts on January 7.