Days after remarks by some ministers from the Maldives against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Indians have taken to the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) to claim that they have cancelled their flight and hotel bookings to the country. Those willing to travel, instead are looking forward to holidays in Lakshadweep, after PM Modi visited the archipelago last week.
Even travel companies have reacted. Travel booking platform EaseMyTrip’s CEO and co-founder Nishant Pitti tweeted, “In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.”
Full-service carrier Vistara has said it will monitor the demand for flights between the two countries for a week or so as the "situation is evolving right now". Vistara operates one flight each daily from Mumbai and Delhi to Male.
Twitterati speculates that over 7,500 hotel bookings have been cancelled in Maldives while more than 2,300 flight tickets to the islands have been cancelled. However, CNBC-TV18 could not independently verify the numbers.
Also Read | PM Modi's Lakshadweep tour sparks diplomatic strife with Maldives: A social media showdown | Explained
The sudden rage and #BoycottMaldives trend on X came after three deputy ministers from the Maldives criticised Modi for his post on 'X' following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.
According to Maldivian media reports, deputy ministers in the youth ministry, Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, have been suspended from their positions over their derogatory social media posts.
According to sources cited by the news agency PTI, the Maldivian envoy to India was on January 8 summoned to the external affairs ministry and conveyed strong concern over remarks against Modi by some Maldivian ministers.
Meanwhile, several Bollywood celebs, who previously picked Maldives as one of their favourite vacation spots, are now actively promoting Lakshadweep tourism.
Lakshadweep and the Andamans are "astonishingly beautiful locations", said Amitabh Bachchan as the megastar hailed India's self-reliance. Other celebrities including actors Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, and veteran cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatesh Prasad and Virender Sehwag have also appealed to people to explore domestic islands.
Comic actor Vir Das, however, had a light-hearted take on the controversy. "Firstly, happy Lakshadweep is getting some love! Secondly, Somewhere in the Maldives, right now, is an Indian celebrity/influencer, who didn't eat carbs for two weeks, took the best vacation photos ever, and is TERRIFIED to post them," Das wrote on the microblogging site.
MakeMyTrip said it has observed a 3,400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the islands.
"We have observed a 3,400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since 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," MakeMyTrip said in a post on social media platform X.
Pitti earlier said that the water and beaches of Lakshadweep are as good as Maldives and Seychelles. “We at @EaseMyTrip will come up with crazy special offers to promote this pristine destination that our PM @narendramodi has recently visited!” he tweeted on January 4.
With inputs from agencies
(Edited by : Amrita)
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