The government has set a target of attracting 300,000 Indian tourists this year after the market sank sharply in 2024 due to strained foreign relations.
Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) Chairman Abdulla Ghiyas told Adhadhu that monthly events will be held in India to achieve this goal.
"We are conducting it as a very big campaign. For the first time, we are targeting to hire a brand ambassador to advertise in the Indian mass media. We are also trying to hold cricket summer camps in Maldives," he said.
He further said MMPRC was working with airlines to bring tourists from more destinations in India. These include Air India, IndiGo and Maldivian.
"This will improve with more flights, right? We are targeting to fly from distant cities. Calcutta, Pune, Chennai too. There are a lot of complaints about the lack of direct flights to Chennai," Ghiyas added.
The Indian market widely expanded in the last five years. However, Indian travel agencies blacklisted Maldives after several Maldivian deputy ministers insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Since then, the number of Indian tourists visiting Maldives has declined sharply. Last year, 130,328 tourists visited Maldives from India which is 70,000 less compared to 2023.
India was the sixth-largest source market for Maldives in 2024.
