Maldives tourism ranking sees India drop to 5th place, down from 2023's top position

Maldives tourism ranking: Amid the row between India and the Maldives over derogatory remarks made by Maldivian leaders against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India after Modi posted stunning pictures from his visit to Lakshadweep, showcasing his enjoyment amid the beautiful beaches and scenic locations. Despite the visual appeal of the post, it has stirred controversy abroad. 

The row between India and Maldives also impacted the Maldives tourism ranking. As per the ranking, Indian tourist arrivals in Maldives exhibited fluctuations but generally increased from 2017 to 2021, reaching a peak of 290,920 visitors in 2020-2021 before a slight drop to 241,369 in 2021-2022. 

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As per the recent data of Maldives tourism ranking, island had gone a significant transformation in its tourist landscape in recent weeks. Recent data from island nation's tourism ministry reveals the total number of Indians that travelled to the country between 1 and 28 January were 13,989 — fifth overall.

Based on official data from the Maldivian government, here is the ranking of countries in terms of arrivals in the archipelago

1.    Russia: 18,561 arrivals (10.6% market share, Rank 2 in 2023)
2.    Italy: 18,111 arrivals (10.4% market share, Rank 6 in 2023)
3.    China: 16,529 arrivals (9.5% market share, Rank 3 in 2023)
4.    UK: 14,588 arrivals (8.4% market share, Rank 4 in 2023)
5.    India: 13,989 arrivals (8.0% market share, Rank 1 in 2023)
6.    Germany: 10,652 arrivals (6.1% market share)
7.    USA: 6,299 arrivals (3.6% market share, Rank 7 in 2023)
8.    France: 6,168 arrivals (3.5% market share, Rank 8 in 2023)
9.    Poland: 5,109 arrivals (2.9% market share, Rank 14 in 2023)
10.    Switzerland: 3,330 arrivals (1.9% market share, Rank 10 in 2023)

The massive shift in tourist demographics of Maldives is a result of diplomatic tensions between India and the Maldives. 

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The aftermath of India-Maldives diplomatic tensions led to a decline in Indian tourist numbers which was at the leading position  with 209,198 arrivals, making up almost 11 percent of the Maldives' tourism market in 2023 

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