A diplomatic row between India and the Maldives in January 2024 appears to have significantly altered tourism trends in the region, with Lakshadweep witnessing a massive surge in visitors while Indian
tourist arrivals in the Maldives declined sharply.
The controversy erupted after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep and inaugurated several development projects across sectors, including technology, energy, water resources, healthcare and education.
Sharing pictures from the trip on X, Modi praised the “stunning beauty” of Lakshadweep and the “incredible warmth of its people”, while encouraging travellers and adventure enthusiasts to add the Union Territory to their travel bucket list.
The Prime Minister’s beachside photographs quickly went viral on social media, with many users pitching Lakshadweep as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives. The online debate escalated after some Maldivian ministers made remarks suggesting that India could not compete with the Maldives in beach tourism, triggering a diplomatic backlash and widespread calls in India to promote domestic tourism destinations and boycott the Maldives.
The impact soon became visible in tourism numbers. According to an RTI response accessed by India Today, tourist arrivals in Lakshadweep surged from just 3,875 in 2020 to a record 68,328 in 2024.
In contrast, the Maldives saw a steep fall in Indian tourist arrivals. After being the top source market for Maldivian tourism in 2022 and 2023, India slipped to the sixth position in 2024. India’s share in Maldives tourism dropped from 11.1 per cent to 6.4 per cent, with total Indian arrivals falling to 130,328 during the year.
In the wake of supply disruptions and crises in West Asia, the Prime Minister has appealed to citizens to avoid foreign travel for a year and to visit places in India.
