EaseMyTrip Resumes Maldives Bookings 

India’s largest online travel agency, EaseMyTrip, has resumed bookings for the Maldives, marking the end of a suspension that began in January amid diplomatic tensions.

According to Indian media reports, the booking services restarted last Friday as diplomatic relations between India and the Maldives showed signs of improvement. The suspension in January came amid strained ties and online campaigns in India calling for a boycott of the Maldives as a travel destination. The Maldives government had reached out to EaseMyTrip, seeking clarification on the halt in services earlier this year.

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The resumption follows recent discussions between EaseMyTrip and the Maldives Ministry of Tourism, alongside efforts by the Maldives to reinforce tourism links with India. In late July, the Maldives hosted the “Welcome India Road Show” in three Indian cities, with the aim of re-engaging Indian travel agents, including those who had stopped promoting the Maldives.

Following the roadshow, Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal expressed optimism for a surge in Indian tourist arrivals, with hopes that India might become the third-largest source of tourists to the Maldives by year-end.

Currently, India ranks sixth in tourist arrivals to the Maldives, a decline from its top position last year. Out of 1.4 million tourists arriving in the Maldives so far this year, 90,000 have been from India. The Maldives aims to reach 2 million arrivals by the end of 2024, counting on renewed interest from Indian travellers to help achieve this goal.