Passenger Traffic To Lakshadweep Doubled While Indians Going To Maldives Halved Since PM Modi Posted Photos Of Island

The interest of Indian tourists in Lakshadweep seems to have increased in eight months since Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the place in January and posted photos of him walking along the beaches and snorkeling.

Government data reveals that passenger traffic to Lakshadweep more than doubled between April and June this year, reaching 22,990 compared to 11,074 during the same period last year.

Aircraft movements also saw an 88 per cent jump, rising from 418 to 786, despite the limitations of Agatti Airport, which only accommodates small turboprop planes, Business Standard reported.

According to Cirium, flight activity to Lakshadweep has more than tripled, from 31 in July 2023 to 106 in July 2024. Consequently, available seats have risen from 2,170 in July 2023—when only Alliance Air flew from Kochi—to 7,844 in July 2024, with three airlines now in operation.

IndiGo, which didn’t fly to Lakshadweep before February 2024, ran 53 flights in July from Kochi and Bengaluru, while new carrier Fly91 from Goa operated 21 flights in the same month.

Anil Kalsi, vice president of the Travel Agents Federation of India, predicts that tourist numbers could triple once the island's airport is upgraded, with large hotel chains already building new resorts to meet the anticipated demand.

This growth in Lakshadweep tourism contrasts with a notable decline in the Maldives, as there were boycott calls for the archipelago nation after its three junior ministers passed derogatory remarks against India and PM Modi.

Strained diplomatic relations have contributed to a 45 per cent drop in Indian tourist arrivals to the Maldives from April to July 2024, falling to 36,761 compared to 66,375 during the same period last year.

The proportion of Indian tourists visiting the Maldives has also halved, from 12 per cent to 6.3 per cent this year. Most airlines have maintained or reduced capacity to the Maldives, with Vistara being an exception.