The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) is preparing to hold roadshows named “Welcome India” in three Indian cities to boost tourist arrivals from the country.

Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal is due to participate in the roadshows, which were organised in collaboration with the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) and the National Hotels and Guesthouse Association of Maldives.

The roadshows are due to place over five days in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The events will help strengthen ties between stakeholders of the respective tourism industries, the MMPRC said.

Maldivian beaches, resorts, guesthouses and cultural history will be be promoted at the roadshows, the MMPRC said. The roadshows will be carried out with the help of business sponsors such as Kandima Maldives, Nova Maldives, Arena Hotels, Kaani Hotels and Villa Nautical.

Roadshows were also carried out in India last month to increase the number of Indian tourists.

India was the top source market for tourists to the Maldives in the past two years. But the number of visitors from India has steeply declined this year.

Tourism Ministry statistics show that 1,159,808 tourists have visited the Maldives so far this year. India is in sixth place on the list of top markets with 70,753 tourists.

Indian tourist arrivals started to decline over derogatory remarks made against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by three deputy ministers of the current government. The incident strained relations between the countries and prompted some Indian travel agencies to blacklist the Maldives.