Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal has pointed the finger at former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom for the “India Out” campaign, which was subsequently adopted by President Mohamed Muizzu. The campaign, which gained traction during the 2023 presidential elections, accused the previous administration of harbouring Indian military personnel in the Maldives.
However, subsequent investigations revealed these allegations to be unfounded, and the Muizzu administration confirmed their inaccuracy after assuming office last November. Despite this, the campaign had far-reaching consequences, straining historic relationship between the Maldives and India, its closest neighbour and ally.
The situation escalated further when three state ministers from the Muizzu administration made derogatory remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. Consequently, relations between the Maldives and India deteriorated to an all-time low, prompting an Indian boycott campaign targeting the Maldives’ tourism sector.
Once the top source market for tourist arrivals, India has now slipped to sixth place. In response, the Muizzu administration has launched a new campaign to boost Indian tourism.
Minister Faisal, speaking at a press conference after the conclusion of the “Welcome India” roadshow, highlighted the importance of the Indian market for Maldives tourism. He acknowledged that the Indian market faces challenges for “various reasons” but reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to strengthening ties with India and China.
President Muizzu’s pro-China stance has been clear since his early days in office, beginning with an official visit to China in January. However, Faisal avoided explicitly mentioning the “India Out” campaign, subtly suggesting that it did not reflect the Muizzu administration’s official position.
He further implied that the campaign was the creation of a “former president in our midst,” referring to President Yameen. Yameen’s departure from President Muizzu’s camp after the election victory fuelled the blame game.
Faisal also stressed that the Muizzu administration’s foreign policy rejects isolation and has moved away from its previous stance of keeping India at arm’s length.
However, observers attribute the sharp decline in Indian tourist arrivals primarily to the derogatory remarks made by administration officials. These comments, which explicitly targeted the Indian Prime Minister, triggered a tourism boycott spearheaded by Indian celebrities.
Indian travel agents also joined the boycott, exacerbating the strain on relations between the Maldives and India. However, the Muizzu administration is now taking steps to repair the damage caused by its ministers’ actions. The three state ministers who posted offensive remarks against the Indian leader remain suspended, albeit with pay.
Minister Faisal also highlighted an optimistic outlook for the future, noting that efforts to boost the number of Indian visitors are already yielding positive results. Despite the current decline, the administration aims to position India among the top three tourism source markets by the end of the year. While 71,000 Indian tourists have visited the Maldives so far this year, the figure stood above 200,000 during the same period last year.
