New Delhi: Amid the row between India and the Maldives over the remarks made by three ministers about India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Maldivian tourism organization has appealed to the India-based travel aggregator EaseMyTrip urging the platform to resume flight bookings to the island nation.
The Maldives Association of Tour and Travel Operators (MATATO) in a letter to EaseMyTrip’s CEO Nishant Pitti, urged the platform to overlook the ‘unfortunate’ comments. MATATO emphasized that these remarks do not represent the sentiments of Maldivians as a whole. They highlighted the crucial role played by Indian tourists, who have been the top visitors to the Maldives post-Covid, in contributing to the Maldivian economy.
Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators writes to EaseMyTrip CEO Nishant Pitti to re-open flight bookings to Maldives pic.twitter.com/ojCxpPar7b
— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024
They expressed gratitude for the enduring friendship and partnership between the Maldives and India, stressing that these connections surpass political differences. MATATO acknowledged Indian counterparts as esteemed brothers and sisters.
Tourism stands as the backbone of the Maldives, contributing more than two-thirds of the country’s GDP and providing employment to around 44,000 Maldivians in the industry. MATATO warned about potential adverse effects on the economy due to any downturn in tourism.
Additionally, MATATO highlighted the significance of Indian tourists, stating they are crucial to the success of the Maldivian tourism sector, supporting guest houses and small to medium-sized enterprises.
Last year, over two lakh Indians, visited the Maldives, with over 4.5 lakh travellers in the past two years. The Maldives remained open to tourists during the pandemic, attracting nearly 63,000 Indian visitors during that time.
MATATO urged everyone to avoid contributing to division through hateful comments, echoing a similar sentiment expressed earlier by the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), which condemned the derogatory comments aimed at Prime Minister Modi.