High Commissioner of India to the Maldives Sunjay Sudhir has stated tourist arrivals from India will continue to increase in the Maldives in the coming months.
Speaking at the TTM Travel Summit 2020, High Commissioner Sudhir said several Indian airlines are currently operating to the Maldives under the air bubble established between the two countries. As such, he noted flights from Trivandrum, Cochin, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore in India currently travel to the Maldives. Noting December is the month in which most Indians travel for vacation, the high commissioner said tourist arrivals from India are expected to rise sharply next month.
The high commissioner said there are several factors which make the Maldives a popular destination among Indian tourists. In this regard, he noted Indian tourists choose the Maldives for its uniqueness as a travel destination, as well as the travelling convenience due to the visa-free agreement. He added the wide range of promotional activities carried out in India is also a major factor that attracts Indian tourists to the Maldives.
The high commissioner went on to note that the Indian high commission is also working on increasing Indian tourist arrivals in the Maldives. As such, he revealed plans to conduct a travel mart with Indian and Maldivian tour operators and agencies.
As per the latest statistics of the Ministry of Tourism, India has contributed the second largest number of tourists to the Maldives since the country reopened its borders on July 15. As such, 5,449 tourist arrivals have been recorded from India between July 15 and November 19, representing 9.2% of all tourist arrivals during this period.