Maldives sees 33% drop in Indian tourists amid diplomatic row

MALE, Mar 8: As the bilateral ties between New Delhi and Male continue to deteriorate, a recent report citing data from the Maldives tourism ministry showed that the number of Indian tourists in the country dipped by 33 percent as compared to March last year.

A report from Male-based Adhadhu stated that in March 2023, over 41,000 Indian tourists visited Maldives while the number dropped to just 27,224 in March 2024, showing a steep decline of 33 percent. The primary reason behind this decline is the tourism campaign of the Indian government, prompting citizens to explore the Lakshadweep islands.

Till March 2023, India was the second largest source of tourism for Maldives, with a 10 percent share in the market, the report said. However, the diplomatic tensions between the two nations led to India dropping to the sixth place, with a six percent market share.

While India sees a major drop in the number of tourists, China has seen a sudden spike in the number of tourists visiting Maldives. As the ties between China and Maldives strengthen, the former has seen over 54,000 tourist arrivals in the country in 2024.

China is now the top visiting country for Maldives, leading a significant chunk of the market. The island nation saw a total of 217,394 tourists arrive in February this year, out of which over 34,600 were from China. Notably, India was the top tourist market for Maldives in 2021, 2022, and 2023, with more than 200,000 tourists per year.

The Indian tourist market for Maldives started seeing a significant decline after the appointment of President Mohamed Muizzu, who is known to be a pro-China leader. Muizzu also passed the order to push out Indian military personnel from Maldives, escalating tensions between the two nations.

The ties between the two countries worsened when Maldivian ministers made derogatory comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media, triggering a wave of global outrage.

President Muizzu visited China just a week after derogatory comments against PM Modi were posted. He urged China to revive its tourism market in Maldives to boost the island nation's economy.

The Maldivian president said, “China was our number one market pre-COVID, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position.”

Vietnam Ministry of Culture and Tourism unveils digital ecosystem to boost travel

HANOI, Feb 3: Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism's Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) has announced that the sector is actively pushing forward digital transformation via building a smart tourism ecosystem, a strategic move designed to improve state management and the overall tourist experience.

According to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), key components of this ecosystem include platforms such as the Vietnam travel management and business system, the Vietnam Travel app, a smart tourism card, and notably, an electronic ticketing system.

Most recently, the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts has collaborated with the VNAT's Tourism Information Technology Centre to launch an electronic ticketing system. It eliminates the necessity for visitors to queue at counters for ticket purchases, offering a streamlined experience with various user-friendly self-check-in options.

Previously, this system was deployed at the Temple of Literature, the Ho Chi Minh Presidential Palace relic site and Quan Thanh Temple.

India drops to 5th position on Maldives' top 10 tourism markets, China at 3

MALE, Jan 29: The Maldives, renowned for its pristine beaches and luxury tourism, has witnessed a significant shift in its tourist demographics, with Indian visitors dropping from the third to the fifth largest group within three weeks, according to data from the Maldives' tourism ministry.

This shift coincides with escalating diplomatic tensions between India and the Maldives following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the Indian archipelago in the Arabian Sea.

Indian tourists have long been a key demographic for the Maldives, comprising nearly 11% of its tourism market in 2023. However, the recent controversy surrounding Modi's beach excursion to Lakshadweep on January 2 stirred up a storm, leading to a notable decline in Indian tourist numbers.

Modi's visit to Lakshadweep and his subsequent social media posts were interpreted by some in the Maldives as a strategic move to divert tourists away from their nation. Three junior ministers in the Mohamed Muizzu government posted derogatory comments against the prime minister, sparking a wave of anti-Maldives sentiment on social media platforms in India.

The hashtag #BoycottMaldives started trending on social media, accompanied by reports of cancelled trips to the island nation. An Indian travel portal EaseMyTrip suspended bookings for flights to the Maldives in solidarity with the nation.

The Maldives officials later deleted their posts and were suspended by the country's president for posting derogatory comments against India. Maldives foreign minister Moosa Zameer called the officials’ remarks “unacceptable,” and said his country is committed to “fostering a positive and constructive dialogue with our partners.”

“The government of Maldives can’t afford to have a spat with India, and it will be an economic suicide. Everybody should see this,” said Shaheed.

According to the Maldives tourism website, India started 2024 as the third largest contributor to its tourism with a 7.1 per cent market share while China was not even in the top 10 markets list.

The numbers, however, witnessed an abrupt change after the diplomatic tensions. While India's market share for Maldives tourism stood at 8 per cent as of Jan 28, China and the UK surpassed the country, taking 3rd and 4th place respectively in the top 10 list.

Thailand To Waive Visa Requirements For Indians To Draw More Tourists

BANGKOK, Oct 31: Thailand will waive visa requirements for arrivals from India and Taiwan from next month to May 2024, a government official said on Tuesday, in a bid to draw in more tourists as the high season approaches.

Thailand in September scrapped visa requirements for Chinese tourists, the country's top pre-pandemic tourism market with 11 million of the record 39 million arrivals in 2019.

From January to October 29, there were 22 million visitors to Thailand, generating 927.5 billion baht ($25.67 billion), according to the latest government data.

"Arrivals from India and Taiwan can enter Thailand for 30 days," spokesperson Chai Wacharonke said.

India has been Thailand's fourth largest source market for tourism so far this year with about 1.2 million arrivals after Malaysia, China and South Korea.

Inbound tourism from India showed signs of growth as more airlines and hospitality chains targeted that market.

Thailand is targeting about 28 million arrivals this year, with the new government hoping the travel sector can offset continued weak exports that have constrained economic growth.

Major Changes In Visa, Consular Services To Counter Predatory Pricing

NEW DELHI, Sept 1: The Ministry of External Affairs, in a move to mitigate predatory pricing, has tightened the rules for the selection of partner visas and consular service to the Indian diaspora and foreign visitors.

The MEA is committed to serving Indians migrating and foreigners visiting India with an overarching vision to strengthen India's Image and reputation, to make the service more robust, seamless and reliable.

Notably, the Indian Missions of the MEA are the first touch points for any international traveller coming into India - the Indian Citizen or Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Foreigners (travelling to India) residing overseas.

Jyoti Mayal, President, of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) stated, "The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has embarked on a transformational program to reform and strengthen its tendering and evaluation process in a holistic manner to select the right outsourced service providers. While the focus lies on L1 pricing, there is a strong emphasis on the four pillars of Quality Services, Sustainable and Viable Price, Data Protection and Security, and Ethical Practices and Integrity."

She said that since the first impression of any individual travelling to India, the MEA must focus on offering superior, efficient, and cost-effective services.

Commenting on the endeavour she also added, "It is important that the first impression of any individual travelling to India or having to work with any Indian Mission anywhere in the world needs to be impeccable, as the government is determined to work towards delivering the promise of New India. Therefore, the MEA and its Missions as true representatives of the Indian government to the world must focus on offering superior, efficient, and cost-effective services as perhaps the first step in that direction."

The president concluded by stating that India is positioning itself as a global leader in several sectors such as trade, cross-border services, citizen services, etc.

"As India marches towards a high momentum growth period, it will be critical to plan for factors that can impede progress and mitigate reputational and image risks for the Indian Government. Hence it became imperative for the government to focus on the quality, reliability, and credibility of the service providers it engages with, to ensure services are delivered effectively, efficiently, and in line with established standards, else failure in service levels can erode confidence and trust in the government's capabilities, leading to public dissatisfaction. The focus on quality also indicates that public resources are utilised wisely and that citizens receive the best possible value for money," she added.

Charter Direct Flights To Boost Tourism From Delhi To Sabah: Malaysian Minister

By Deepak Arora

KOTA KINABALU: Malaysian Government is working towards direct charter flights from New Delhi and other cities to Sabah to reduce travel time and attract more Indian golfers and tourists to this amazing paradise. Sabah is a Malaysian state occupying the northern part of Borneo Island. Currently, there are no airlines that fly direct from New Delhi and other Indian cities to Kota Kinabalu, the Capital of Sabah....more