'Rishton ke bhi roop badalte hain, naye naye saanche mein dhalte hain' (relationships change too and mold in new forms)....
One of the most popular title tracks of one of India's longest-running TV dramas, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, reflects the current relationship between the Maldives and India as the former takes a U-turn after the diplomatic row earlier this year.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu made the most of his five-day India visit (October 6-10) by not only getting financial support from India but also urging Indian tourists to visit the Maldives, for which he is banking on influencers and celebrities.
President Muizzu recently met celebrities like Shriya Saran and is also in talks with other movie stars, like Shilpa Shetty, Sunny Kaushal, Sonam Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra and Arbaaz Khan, to revive business in the tourist paradise, which faced challenging times after a backlash from Indian travellers earlier this year.
Derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by a number of ministers of Maldives had sparked tension among Indian travellers, leading to a cancellation of travel plans to Maldives. This resulted in India slipping to sixth position as a source market for Maldives this year from topping the list last year. The dwindling arrivals from India is estimated to have led to losses of over $1.8 billion to $2 billion to Maldives.
Creator connect
To reset ties and bring back Indians to the island-nation, the Maldives president is once again counting on the power of the influencers, after previously associating with star athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Ajinkya Rahane, as well as the popular face of Indian cinema, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Right after the pandemic, Maldives Tourism partnered with many celebrities from India and sent them to the island nation to keep the island- nation on top of the mind of Indian tourists, pointed out Hari Ganapathy, Co-Founder, Pickyourtrail, a travel firm, adding that the influencer-related tourism activities were halted after the row between the two nations in January this year.
These activities have restarted, he said. Influencers, including Amyra Dastur, Eesha Rebba, Rohan Mehra and Shenaz Treasuary, have either travelled in September or will be visiting Maldives in the coming months.
Start of travel by celebrities and the strengthening bilateral partnership are reviving Indian tourist interest in Maldives. This has led to India's share in the tourist traffic increasing to seven percent in the last three months from four percent in the first four months of 2024.
Bounce back
"We are seeing a 30 percent increase month on month (MoM) in searches for Maldives on our platform. A strong recovery is seen in both enquiries and bookings for the destination. The peak season for weddings is starting now, and this will lead to an uptick in tourist traffic to Maldives from India, compared to July, August, and September. October has seen a very strong start, compared to July," Ganapathy said.
He added that the uptick in demand for Maldives is across cities, including tier II and III markets, which account for about 18-20 percent of demand for the island-nation.
On October 4, online travel aggregator (OTA) EaseMyTrip resumed bookings to the Maldives, which were halted since January this year.
“Based on the positive developments in mending India-Maldives bilateral ties, by both the governments, we are resuming bookings to the Maldives. This decision comes after careful consideration and follows a constructive dialogue with the Ministry of Tourism of Maldives delegation, during their recent visit to India and our office," Nishant Pitti, Co-Founder & CEO, EaseMyTrip, had said in a statement.
Demand drop
In 2023, India, on an average, contributed 12 percent to overall tourist arrivals in Maldives. The total arrivals from India dipped by around 42 percent in the first four months of 2024, and the market share dropped to four percent.
Tourists from India to Maldives dropped from 15,000 in January to 11,000 and 8,000 in February and March, respectively, this year, according to Pickyourtrail. In September, the Maldives recorded 9,000 tourists from India.
In 2023, as many as 18,500, 19,500 and 21,000 tourists from India had visited the Maldives in January, February and March, respectively.
Traffic from India to the Maldives between January and April this year was about 45,000 tourists. This number was 80,000 last year during the same period, the co-founder said.
Festive cheer
The country is betting big on the upcoming months, as, last year, tourist traffic from India increased from 14,000 in September to about 26,000 in December.
The wedding season is expected to push the demand, with Maldives considered as the most popular honeymoon destination.
"Maldives is a dream destination for couples, thanks to its white beaches and water villas. From a honeymoon perspective, Maldives, Bali and Mauritius are some of the top short-haul destinations. But Mauritius sees 5,000-6,000 Indians tourists while Maldives has recorded 30,000 tourists at its peak in a month from India. This shows Maldives is more desirable among Indian couples," Ganapathy said.
Wider interest
But there is also rising interest among Indian families for Maldives.
"We are seeing more families preferring the Maldives, compared to three years ago. Around 2020, 80 percent of our customers were honeymooners. But now, this is around 60 percent. Also, there has been a 70 percent YoY increase in senior citizens aged over 60 years and above and 30 percent increase in kids," he added.
The length of stay of Indians has also increased from an average of three nights to currently four. "We are expecting this trend to only improve. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes five nights as an average in the next year," Ganapathy noted. So, travellers who are planning to visit Maldives should be ready to shell out anywhere between Rs 1.5 lakh for about four nights for two people, excluding the cost of flights.
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