If you don’t know about the
Lakshadweep vs Maldives debate
online, you have probably been off social media. The controversy erupted after
Maldives ministers
Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid called
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
a "clown", "terrorist" and "puppet of Israel" on social media platform X, in response to a video shared by him of visiting the Indian islands of Lakshadweep, north of the Maldives, to promote local tourism.
Post these posts from
Maldives
ministers #BoycottMaldives trended on social media platforms. Many Indians, including some celebrities, shared social media posts promoting domestic destinations over the Maldives.
Amid the furore, popular travel platform
MakemyTrip
has said that there has been a huge increase in searches for the tropical archipelago Lakshadweep.
3400% increase in search
“We have observed a 3400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since the Honorable PM’s visit. This interest in Indian beaches has inspired us to launch a 'Beaches of India' campaign on the platform with offers and discounts to encourage Indian travellers to explore the country's stunning beaches. Keep watching this space!” reads a post from MakeMyTrip on X, formerly Twitter.
Travel company suspends bookings for Maldives
Another travel website, EaseMyTrip has announced that it has suspended all flight and hotel bookings for Maldives. In a post on X, the company's co-founder and CEO Nishant Pitti said that all Maldives flight bookings have been suspended following the derogatory remarks made by Maldives ministers against Modi.
"In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings," posted Pitti.
The Maldives is among the popular tourist destinations for Indian tourists. According to data from the country's tourism ministry, Indians were the highest among visitors to the Maldives during the year 2023.
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