Maldives Bets On PM Modi's Visit, Katrina Kaif's Brand Face For Record Indian Tourist Influx

News18

11 hours ago

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Maldives on historic two-day trip and met President Mohamed Muizzu.
Maldivian Tourism Minister Thouriq Ibrahim has hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the Maldives as historic and called it a significant step in bilateral and people-to-people ties between the two nations.
Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, Ibrahim highlighted that this was the first state visit by a foreign leader under President Mohamed Muizzu's administration.
'We are friendly countries, and this visit is important for both India and Maldives," he said.
Talking about tourism, the Minister said that India currently ranks sixth among the top source markets for Maldives.
'Last year we had around 130,000 Indian tourists. This year, we hope to welcome 200,000 tourists from India," he said, highlighting that he welcomed the one millionth tourist who was an Indian, which he described as a proud and happy moment.
Aiming the further boost tourist arrivals, the Maldives is focusing on greater outreach in India, including enhanced air connectivity from Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Lucknow.
The government of the country is also working on providing more facilities tailored to Indian tourists, he said.
He also highlighted the growing role of Bollywood in promoting Maldivian tourism and noted that actor Katrina Kaif has been appointed as the official brand ambassador. 'Katrina Kaif is now chosen as a brand ambassador, and she will be starting her work very soon, next month. She will be doing her outreach work within most of the bigger cities in India, and you will see that, which will also bring in more tourists and open up the Maldives to the Indian market. But apart from that, she holds a strong influence across many people in India, and so that will definitely amplify the promotion," he said.
'We are very excited to have Bollywood engaged in our tourism," Ibrahim said, pointing out that celebrity visits, television events, and commercial collaborations have significantly contributed to tourism growth.
Ibrahim outlined the existing infrastructure supporting the Maldives tourism sector, including 175 resorts, 875 guest houses, and 16 tourist hotels, amounting to 64,400 beds.
He said that 150 new resorts are being added, and the Banana International Airport, with an annual capacity of 7.5 million passengers, was inaugurated to accommodate the growing demand of tourists.
He also mentioned the Hanimaadhoo International Airport, the first international airport in northern Maldives, which is expected to be functional next year.
'That area is close to India and has been given priority for development with concessions offered to investors. We hope Indian investors will come forward to develop resorts there," he said.
Regarding global outreach, China remains the top tourist market for Maldives, followed by Russia, the UK, Italy, Germany, and India. The government has set a target of 2.3 million tourist arrivals this year.
With multiple international airports, a seaplane network, and investments in infrastructure and promotion, Maldives is banking on deeper India ties and celebrity-driven campaigns to further boost its tourism economy, he said.
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