High Commissioner: Indian tourists will increase by 20 percent with financial easements

High Commissioner of India to the Maldives, G. Balasubramanian, states Indian tourist arrivals to the Maldives are expected to rise by 20 percent following the introduction of financial conveniences like India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in the Maldives.

Speaking during an exclusive interview with Sun, Balasubramanian said the beauty of Maldives itself is the greatest attraction for any tourist and certainly for the Indian tourists as well.

He added that the implementation of financial convenience for Indian tourists would serve as a huge incentive to further grow the Indian market to the Maldives.

In this regard, he underscored that a 20 percent rise in Indian tourist arrivals can be expected if local currency settlement and UPI is implemented in the Maldives.

“Whether it is local currency settlement system or the UPI, if they come on board, I can immediately see a great increase of at least 15 to 20 percent in terms of Indian tourists coming over to the Maldives,” he said.

Speaking further, Balasubramanian noted that a meeting had recently been held with Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) regarding initiatives that can be undertaken to increase Indian tourist arrivals to the Maldives. He detailed that discussions were held regarding holding a Maldivian food festival in the Maldives and jointly working with some businesses in India.

Balasubramanian added that the Indian market is growing, for which he said MMPRC was undertaking significant efforts.

In this trajectory, he noted that a roadshow had been held in various Indian regions to attract tourists, with plans to appoint an Indian tourism ambassador to the Maldives very soon.

Notably, Bank of Maldives (BML) already accepts RuPay, India’s first global card payment network. The card service was launched during President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s official visit to India back in last year’s October.

An MoU was signed pertaining to the introduction of India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) payment service in the Maldives on August 9, 2024. President Muizzu decided to take the necessary steps to introduce the service in the Maldives on October 20, 2024.

Indian tourists mostly visit the Maldives during a crucial period for the country when arrivals from western markets decrease. In this regard, western tourists mostly travel to the Maldives during winter, while Indian tourists travel to the Maldives during summer. Hence, Indian tourists are crucial for the Maldivian tourism industry during the offseason.

India topped tourist arrivals to the Maldives in 2021, 2022 and 2024, recording over 200,000 arrivals from the country per year.

However, a campaign was launched in India calling to boycott Maldivian tourism after three Maldivian deputy ministers made disparaging remarks regarding India and Indian Prime Minister Modi following a social media post promoting India’s Lakshadweep as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

Despite the turmoil, officials from both Male’ and Delhi repeatedly expressed keenness to maintain relations and engaged in several high-level visits to mend the strain