After facing the backlash from India, the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) on Tuesday requested EaseMyTrip to re-open flight bookings to the island nation, stating that Tourism stands as the lifeblood of the Maldives.The letter has been issued by the Maldives travel agents body after EaseMyTrip suspended flight bookings to the Maldives after a row between the two countries over derogatory social media posts against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep.The letter written by MATATO shared by Nishant Pitti, the founder of EaseMyTrip. It reads, “It is with a heavy heart that MATATO acknowledges the regrettable and derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers on social media platforms. These individuals, now suspended from their roles, do not reflect the sentiments of Maldivians in general.”Just came #TravelUpdate #SupportingNation #ExploreIncredibleIndia #ExploreIndianIslands #Lakshadweep #ExploreIndianBeaches #EaseMyTripSupportsIndia https://t.co/AIJvSDF4ar pic.twitter.com/nb9BBMkRSE— Nishant Pitti (@nishantpitti) January 9, 2024“Tourism stands as the lifeblood of the Maldives, contributing over two-thirds of our GDP and providing livelihoods to approximately 44,000 Maldivians who work directly in the tourism sector. The potential adverse impact on tourism holds the power to unleash severe repercussions on our economy, affecting the lives and well-being of many,” it further reads.The request from the agents body of Maldives has come after EaseMyTrip founder Nishant Pitti on Monday tweeted that their travel agency has suspended all the flights to Maldives in solidarity of the nation.In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings ✈️ #TravelUpdate #SupportingNation #LakshadweepTourism #ExploreIndianlslands #Lakshadweep#ExploreIndianIslands @kishanreddybjp @JM_Scindia @PMOIndia @tourismgoi @narendramodi @incredibleindia https://t.co/wIyWGzyAZY— Nishant Pitti (@nishantpitti) January 7, 2024What is India-Maldives row all aboutThe India-Maldives row is a recent diplomatic dispute between the two countries that erupted in December 2023. PM Modi shared photos from his visit to Lakshadweep. After which, three Maldivian government ministers made derogatory remarks about PM Modi and Lakshadweep on social media.In response to which, India expressed strong disapproval of the ministers comments, calling them unacceptable. The Maldivian government suspended the three ministers, but tensions remained high.Meanwhile, Maldives has appealed China to send more tourists to their country.
