An escalating diplomatic row between India and the Maldives has triggered worries among Indian travel agents about likely cancellations and weakened demand for the leisure destination.

The gloomy sentiments came after a few Maldivian deputy ministers ridiculed Indian prime minister Narendra Modi who took to social media platform X to share his visit to India’s Lakshadweep Island. While Modi made no comparison between Lakshadweep Island and the Maldives, his post attracted comments from social media users in India who said the Indian destination would make a better one than the Maldives.

Retaliating against the Maldivian deputy ministers, India celebrities and netizens have called for a travel boycott of the Maldives. The hashtag #BoycottMaldives is now trending on X in India.

One of India’s leading OTAs, EaseMyTrip on Monday said it has decided to suspend all Maldives flight bookings following the derogatory remarks, company’s CEO Nishant Pitti shared on X.

“The comments made on the Indian prime minister have not gone down well with both the industry and consumers. The Maldives has been an extremely popular destination for the Indian outbound tourism market. However, clients who were planning to visit the country are now asking us to suggest alternates. We have also seen a few cancellations,” shared Varun Gupta, partner, Travelz Factory in India. He urged the Maldives government to exercise damage control soon, otherwise Indian arrivals would dip this year.

Industry veteran Guldeep Sahni, managing director of India-based Weldon Tours & Travels, said that while no upcoming trips to the Maldives has been cancelled, he noted that a client who had booked the sunny destination earlier on had expressed concern that Indian travellers may face backlash in the Maldives.

India is the Maldives’ biggest source market, contributing 206,026 Indian arrivals last year. India is followed by Russia, China, the UK, and Germany as the main source markets.

The three ministers in question – Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid – have since been suspended, reported BBC News.

In a statement issued on January 7, the Maldives government said: “The Government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives.”

It also stated that “the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and international partners”.

The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), the premier tourism industry body, emphasised the importance of fostering positive ties with countries including its South Asian neighbours.

“Lakshadweep Islands tourism sector has no discernible negative impact on the Maldives tourism industry. (Lakshadweep Islands are) complementary to Maldives tourism. The synergies between the two destinations can enhance the overall appeal for travellers and encourage more cruise liners to explore this vibrant and culturally rich region,” MATATO said.

For now, Lakshadweep Islands are seeing an overwhelming interest among Indians.

Daniel D’Souza, president & country head – Holidays, SOTC Travel, said online searches for Lakshadweep cruise sailings have gone up by almost 200 per cent.

“We anticipate this surge in interest and demand will encourage authorities to strengthen Lakshadweep’s infrastructure and establish direct connectivity to boost tourism,” he added. – Additional reporting by Feizal Samath