Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently promoted the beaches of Lakshadweep in a post on the social media platform X and urged the citizens of India to choose domestic tourist destinations for holidays. Also, the construction of Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is set to increase the tourism industry in the holy city by several folds. Keeping it in mind, Spicejet, the low-cost airline, has announced plans to start flights for both Lakshadweep and Ayodhya.
In a report, LiveMint quoted the Chairman and CEO of SpiceJet, Ajaya Singh, saying that the airline plans to start flights to Lakshadweep soon. He also expressed interest in starting flights to Ayodhya in the coming months. The announcements were made during the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).
In his address during the AGM, Singh said that the search volume for Lakshadweep has dramatically increased since PM Modi visited the islands. Furthermore, the tensions between India and Maldives have encouraged Indian tourists to find alternative destinations other than Maldives, and Lakshadweep is a closest and unexplored beach destination meeting the requirements.
Using the opportunity, SpiceJet plans to start flights to Lakshadweep and later to Ayodhya to meet the growing demand for both destinations. Singh announced the company will use a fund of Rs 2,250 crores for the airline’s growth.
India-Maldives tension over tourism
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Lakshadweep on 2nd and 3rd January. During his visit to the Union Territory, he published some photographs of the beaches of Lakshadweep and urged citizens of India to choose domestic destinations for holidays. Though PM Modi did not take any names of the foreign destinations, there was a war of words between social media users of India and Maldives. The situation escalated when deputy ministers of the newly elected government of Maldives used abusive language for PM Modi and the people of India.
Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. I had the opportunity to interact with people in Agatti, Bangaram and Kavaratti. I thank the people of the… pic.twitter.com/tYW5Cvgi8N
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024
As the situation got worse, Indians started to trend boycott Maldives. Seeing the adverse effect on the tourism industry as tickets and hotel bookings were getting cancelled quickly, the Maldivian government announced that three of the deputy ministers who used abusive language on social media were suspended. However, the damage was already done, and several travel companies stopped Maldivian operations. In the coming days, domestic tourism may surge, with PM Modi urging people to choose local destinations over foreign trips.
