- By Mayukh Debnath
- Wed, 10 Jan 2024 06:55 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
India-Maldives Row: The President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, on Tuesday urged China to "intensify" tourist inflow to his nation amid the diplomatic row between New Delhi and Male triggered by derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi made by multiple Maldivian ministers over his recent Lakshadweep visit. The appeal came just days after the outbreak of a social media uproar, which later snowballed into a diplomatic controversy, by Indian users over the remarks against PM Modi and the subsequent spate of cancellation of reservations by tourists who had planned vacations in the Maldives.
Muizzu's appeal to Beijing came during his ongoing five-day state visit to China. "China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," Muizzu said while addressing the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province, as per a readout posted on his official website.
Terming China the "closest" ally of the Maldives, he also praised Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which, he said, "delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history". This came as the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) began a survey to assess the impact on hotel reservations in regard to the Indian source market.
"We are inviting various stakeholders to participate in MATATO survey to assess the impact of recent online events on hotel reservations in regard to Indian source market. Your insights are crucial in understanding the industry's current situation," the association said. Meanwhile, Indian online travel company MakeMyTrip said it was recording an unprecedented surge in searches for domestic beach destinations.
"We are recording an all-time high in on-platform searches for beach destinations in the country. Searches for the top beach destinations across the country have doubled in the last couple of days. Besides the high level of curiosity in Lakshadweep, Daman is seeing an increase in searches by over 350 per cent, followed by Andamans which is recording an increase in overall search volumes by over 120 per cent," MakeMyTrip said in a statement.
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One of the Maldivian ministers who is at the centre of the diplomatic controversy is Mariyam Shiuna. She found herself embroiled in the middle of a social media firestorm after her X post mocking PM Modi went viral. Shiuna, who is the Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment of the Maldives, had made derogatory remarks on PM Modi in a now-deleted X post which carried photographs from the latter's Lakshadweep visit.
On Sunday, the government of the Maldives distanced itself from Shiuna's remarks, saying that they "do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives". A statement released by the Maldivian government in this regard said, "...the relevant authorities of the Government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks".
(With inputs from agencies)
