India-Maldives Row: EaseMyTrip Suspends All Maldives Flight Bookings

EaseMyTrip CEO Nishant Pitti has suspended all Maldives flight bookings following the derogatory remarks made by Maldives ministers against India and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New Delhi: Amidst the escalating row in the India-Maldives tourism saga, there is a good search boom regarding airfares from India to Maldives. Following derogatory remarks made by Maldives ministers against India and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.

Apart from this, EaseMyTrip co-founder Prashant Patti also reportedly asserted that the firm wanted Ayodhya and Lakshadweep to be top international destinations for tourists.

Was planning to go to Maldives for my birthday which falls on 2nd of feb. Had almost finalised the deal with my travel agent (adding proofs below)
But immediately cancelled it after seeing this tweet of deputy minister of Maldives. #boycottmaldives pic.twitter.com/hd2R534bjY

— Dr. Falak Joshipura (@fa_luck7) January 6, 2024

In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings #TravelUpdate #SupportingNation #LakshadweepTourism #ExploreIndianlslands #Lakshadweep#ExploreIndianIslands @kishanreddybjp @JM_Scindia @PMOIndia @tourismgoi @narendramodi @incredibleindia https://t.co/wIyWGzyAZY

— Nishant Pitti (@nishantpitti) January 7, 2024

Standing in support of India, many on social media have shared purported screenshots of their canceled air travel and hotel bookings.

It is noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep seems to have heightened the popularity of India's smallest Union Territory among people across the country. The controversy originated from a tweet on X by a Maldives minister, accusing India of targeting the nation and asserting that India faces challenges in competing with the Maldives in beach tourism.

Notably, the Maldives government suspended three of its ministers - Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha, and Hassan Zihan - for their derogatory remarks on India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following the latter's Lakshadweep visit.

The Maldives is a popular destination among Indians as a tourist spot. You will be surprised to know that Indian tourists were the highest among visitors to the Maldives until December 2023, according to data from the country's tourism ministry. The largest number of tourists who visited the Maldives were from India (2,09,198), followed by Russia (2,09,146) and China (1,87,118).