Maldives bookings cancelled by travel agents amid diplomatic stand-off

Jain, who is also a member of the Travel Agents Consortium of Tricity (TACT), said the winter season during January usually sees many people, including those on honeymoon, going to Maldives.

Derogatory remarks made by some Maldives ministers against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep led to tensions between the two nations. Ministers Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid were suspended with immediate effect, hours after the Maldives government distanced itself from the remarks and the social media spat over pitting Lakshadweep against Maldives.

Travel website EaseMyTrip had earlier suspended all flight bookings to Maldives on its website and its co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Nishant Pitti said that the firm was “in solidarity with our nation”.

Travel agents also received an appeal from Dr Subhash Goyal, chairman of the Aviation and Tourism Committee of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, to stop promoting tourism to Maldives.

In the communication, Goyal said, “On behalf of the Aviation and Tourism Committee of Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), I appeal to all members and Tourism Trade Associations like: Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI), Association of Domestic Tour Operators (ADTOI) and MICE Agents to stop promoting Maldives in view of the anti-India feelings expressed by the Ministers of Maldives.

“This is in spite of the fact that Indians are one of the biggest sources of foreign exchange and creation of jobs in the Maldives. Please divert all such enquiries to Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands which are even better than Maldives in many ways and other destinations which can be promoted in the Indian ocean area are Srilanka, Mauritius, Bali, Phuket etc,” he added.

He also said, “I also appeal to all the Indian carriers operating to Maldives to suspend their operation and seriously think of operating to Lakshadweep Islands under the Udaan Scheme and the members of FHRAI and the Hotel Association of India to seriously look at investing in Lakshadweep Islands as in the future it will give you better returns on your investment than Maldives. I have already asked STIC Travels to stop selling Maldives. This appeal has been made as a patriotic Indian in the larger national interest.”

Ajit Batheja, proprietor of Variety Vacations located in Sector 17, Chandigarh, informed The Indian Express that they’ve taken a stand by “completely boycotting the Maldives” and removing all Maldives advertisements from their page.

“We used to collaborate with hotels and resorts there for leads and packages showcased on our page. However, we’ve removed all Maldives content and are substituting Maldives packages with options for Andaman,” Ajit stated.

Vineet Kumar, owner of Sheetal Travels in Sector 44, Chandigarh, echoed a similar sentiment, mentioning that they’ve not only stopped accepting Maldives bookings but also witnessed a shift from four couples who initially expressed interest in the Maldives to seeking alternatives in other beach destinations.

“We’ve excluded Maldives from our itineraries and are actively promoting destinations like Andamans, Sri Lanka, and others,” Vineet informed The Indian Express.

He further mentioned, “Four couples who had planned for Maldives have now canceled and opted for destinations like Mauritius, Andamans, and others.”

Pleasure Trip Travels in Sector 21, Panchkula, also canceled their Maldives bookings on Monday due to “derogatory remarks against our country and its people.”

“After receiving such remarks, we, as a responsible travel agency, stand in solidarity with our nation and have ceased acknowledging or entertaining any inquiries or bookings to the Maldives,” said Parveen Bansal from Pleasure Trip.

Riya Tours and Travels, situated in Sector 22, Chandigarh, highlighted that multiple airlines are canceling flights to the Maldives.

Rajat from the agency told The Indian Express, “In fact, several airlines are canceling flights, prompting individuals who had sought our assistance for Maldives trips to drop their plans themselves.”