Maldives demands India withdraws its troops amid social media clash
▶ Once-close relations continue to sour over ties to China and derogatory remarks about Modi
The Maldives has asked India to withdraw its troops from the archipelago by March as relations between the two countries sour after a row over derogatory remarks made towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The island nation in the Indian Ocean has been a close and critical neighbour of New Delhi, but their ties have become strained as Male has warmed to China, India’s main regional rival, in recent years.
There are about 75 Indian troops in the Maldives, reportedly stationed there in 2020 to maintain and operate aircraft for emergency evacuations.
“Indian military personnel cannot stay in the Maldives. This is the policy of President Mohamed Muizzu and that of this administration,” Abdulla Ibrahim, public policy secretary at the President’s Office, said on Sunday after officials from both countries held talks in Male.
New Delhi has not commented directly on the demand. The Indian Foreign Ministry said both sides “held discussions on finding a mutually workable solution to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medevac services to the people of the Maldives”.
Male has historically been the biggest beneficiary of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and has received significant public welfare and humanitarian assistance from New Delhi. In 2020 India pledged $500 million for a project to link Male to three nearby islands.
It also extended financial assistance of $250 million to the Maldives during the Covid pandemic.
But the relationship took a sharp downturn in November last year when Mr Muizzu was elected President.
Mr Muizzu promised to remove “foreign military boots” from Maldivian soil if he came to power, with many supporters of the ruling People’s National Congress rallying around “India out” slogans.
Relations between the Maldives and China improved under Abdulla Yameen, who was president from 2013 to 2018.
China has invested $1.37 billion in the Maldives since 2014, the American Enterprise Institute think tank has said.
Beijing also remains the Maldives’ largest external creditor, accounting for about 20 per cent of its total public debt, the World Bank has said.
The two countries announced several partnerships when Mr Muizzu visited Beijing last week, breaking a tradition of Maldivian presidents making New Delhi their first port of call after being elected.
Also last week, Mr Modi’s visit to India’s Lakshadweep islands – part of efforts to boost tourism to the archipelago – sparked a dispute with the Maldives on social media.
While neither Mr Modi nor his government made any reference to the Maldives, many social media users encouraged Indians to visit Lakshadweep instead of the Maldives, prompting reactions from Maldivians that escalated into a diplomatic row.
At least three Maldivian ministers allegedly called Mr Modi a “clown” and “diver in a life jacket” in now-deleted posts. The officials were later suspended.
There are about 75 Indian troops in the Maldives, reportedly stationed there in 2020 to operate aircraft for evacuations
The continuing row between India and Maldives, sparked by comments made by politicians from the archipelago nation, has left many wondering if it is an opportunity for the world’s most populous country to revive its own domestic tourism industry.
According to industry insiders, the dispute between the two countries may provide Indians with an opportunity to travel more locally as some people are boycotting trips to the islands.
Rising Indian middle-class incomes and improved infrastructure are also helping to fuel their travel ambitions.
“The recent issues in the Maldives have indeed stirred conversations and redirected attention towards domestic tourism in India,” says Varun Arora, chief executive and co-founder of Ekostay, a hospitality company in Mumbai.
“We’ve observed a noticeable surge in interest among travellers to explore the diverse and culturally rich destinations within the country. This shift in focus has opened up new opportunities for the domestic tourism sector, allowing us to showcase the incredible beauty and experiences our own country has to offer.”
The diplomatic row started when three junior ministers from the Maldives made what many perceived were negative comments in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media posts promoting tourism to India’s Lakshadweep islands.
Lakshadweep is only accessible to tourists who obtain a permit, with tourism being restricted because of factors including its relatively underdeveloped infrastructure, fragile marine ecosystem and measures in place to protect local indigenous communities. Mr Modi’s posts included photos of the islands’ picturesque beaches.
The ministers were suspended and the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said the comments did not reflect the views of the government.
Even so, the issue has sparked anger in India, resulting in many reportedly rethinking their travel plans and calling for a travel boycott to the Maldives, which could cost it millions of dollars in tourism revenue.
Last year, India was the largest source market of tourists for the Maldives, at 206,000 visitors, according to the island nation’s tourism ministry.
“Following the recent Maldives crisis, there has been a notable surge in inquiries about destinations like Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” says Rohan Verma, co-founder and chief executive of JustWravel, a social travel community that plans road trips, treks and group tours in India. “Both these places offer alternatives to the Maldives.”
The dispute with the Maldives comes amid an increase in domestic tourism in India over the past decade. With historical monuments, lush rainforests, beautiful beaches, snowcapped mountains and diverse cultures, the country of more than 1.4 billion has a lot to offer on its own doorstep.
Figures from India’s Ministry of Tourism show that domestic tourists made 1.73 billion trips to different states in the country in 2022, up 11 per cent from the preceding year.
The Covid-19 pandemic derailed travel both domestically and internationally. Although there has since been a strong rebound, those numbers are still down on pre-Covid levels, with local trips in India totalling a record 2.3 billion in 2019, according to official statistics.
But industry experts say that travel is bouncing back strongly and they expect the sector to expand rapidly over the coming years.
“More people are exploring destinations within India and a big part of this is the changing dynamics of our society,” says Varun Nagpal, founder and chief executive of Vianaar Homes, a holiday home company in Goa. “The middle class, which forms a significant part of our population, is finding more room in their budgets for leisure activities, including travel.”
One of the main factors helping to make domestic tourism more appealing is improving infrastructure and connectivity, he says.
“Travelling has become much easier with well-connected flights and other means of transport,” says Mr Nagpal.
Hotels and resorts in India are reaping the benefits from domestic travel demand, and more properties are opening to cater to Indian travellers.
“Domestic tourism in India is experiencing a significant upswing,” says Alok Kaul, head of operations at Shilp Wellness, a Turkish-themed resort near Mumbai.
“The country’s impressive gross domestic product growth sets it apart globally,” says Mr Kaul. “This economic expansion has led to higher disposable incomes, prompting people to explore travel opportunities.”
Although the pandemic had a negative impact on travel, it also prompted Indians to look at trips closer to home and this is having some lasting benefits, according to industry experts.
“Post-pandemic, there was a resurgence in travel in India. Due to the restrictions for travel, a lot of people started to find India a viable and exciting destination as well,” says Abhilash Ramesh, executive director at the Kairali Ayurvedic Group.
But with international travel rebounding strongly following the pandemic, some hospitality operators have noticed bookings for their properties wane this season.
“Since the outbound travel opened up, we saw a huge drop this winter,” says Manish Goyal, the founder of Stotrak Hospitality, which manages hotels, resorts and homestays in the states of Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.
Still, with the government “doing their part by developing the infrastructure” and international hospitality chains expanding in the country, he expects his business to pick up soon.
“Certainly, domestic tourism will continue to boom,” says Sanjay Sharma, chief executive, Organic Hideaways. His Eco Glamp property business in the northern state of Uttarakhand grew by almost 50 per cent last year compared with 2022 and he expects that number to rise by another 40 to 50 per cent this year.
Another driver of demand for trips within the country is social media, says Mr Sharma.
“Bloggers and influencers are pushing everyone to be a traveller or explorer,” he says.
But India is still a long way from realising the full potential of its domestic tourism industry, as there are challenges that need to be addressed, according to Ekostay’s Mr Arora.
There is still a lot of work to do and “infrastructure development in some regions may be lacking, affecting the overall travel experience”, he adds.
“The industry also needs to ensure that safety measures and hygiene standards are maintained,” he says.
Still, with its diverse landscapes and historic, cultural and wildlife attractions, India has an opportunity to not only boost domestic tourism amid the continuing Maldives row, but also international tourism, Mr Verma believes.
Rising middle-class incomes and improved infrastructure are also helping to fuel a desire for travel among Indians