Skift Take

The #BoycottMaldives movement, fueled by a diplomatic dispute, should be of concern for the Maldivian government. After all, India is the archipelago's biggest tourism source market.

Indian online travel agency EaseMyTrip announced on Monday that it has suspended all flight bookings to Maldives in what its Co-Founder and CEO, Prashant Pitti, deemed was in “solidarity with the nation.”

Co-founder Prashant Pitti, wrote on LinkedIn, “Nation First Business Later. EaseMyTrip.com is letting go of 290,000 tickets that get annually booked for Maldives from India. Plus, we have made 5 beautiful packages live for Lakshadweep."

On Monday, MakeMyTrip also announced the launch of a "Beaches of India" campaign.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C11NYMNS_j0/?igsh=MXJpYWR2c201c3h4ZQ%3D%3D

All of Sunday #BoycottMaldives had been trending in Indian social media following a diplomatic dispute between the two countries. 

There had also been social media reports of cancellations of over 8000 hotel bookings and more than 2500 flight tickets by Indians to Maldives. When Skift spoke to a few travel companies on Sunday night, no cancellations were reported. However, by Monday morning some reports of cancellations trickled in.

The Backlash

“Two couples, who were scheduled to visit Maldives, have now asked me to find some other place for their ho