CHENNAI: The political unrest in Maldives has made several travellers to defer their trips to the otherwise popular holiday paradise. There has been increase in cancellation of trips to Maldives since the last few days.
Some of the travellers who have booked packages do not seem to be
inconvenienced as they flew into the airports and immediately took a ferry or seaplane to their respective resorts in Maldives.
There has not been any issue as far as travellers are concerned so far, claimed sources.
Inspite of the crisis discouraging the tourists, Presidency Maldives, the official account of the President tweeted, “despite the declaration of the state of emergency, there will be no impact on hotels, resorts or any other business operating in the Maldives tourism sector.”
The unrest commenced after President Abdulla Yameen defied a Supreme Court ruling to reinstate opposition MPs and release political prisoners.
A state of emergency has been declared in Maldives, giving security forces sweeping powers to arrest suspected opposition members, prohibit public gatherings and impose travel restrictions.
According to sources, travel portals have been assuring customers of alternate travel plans due to the prevailing situation in Maldives and are in touch with their customers who are already at the destination.
Also, they are speaking to travellers who have plans to travel and are explaining the situation to them.
“If anyone is choosing to cancel or postpone their travel, we are helping them make alternative plans,” says Sharat Dhall, COO (B2C), Yatra.com.
“However, right now, most travellers are adopting a wait and watch approach, as the Maldivian government has also issued a statement assuring that tourists will not face any issues of any kind. Tourists who prefer Maldives, an upmarket beach destination, can now look at destinations like Mauritius and Seychelles,” Dhall added.
A tour operator claimed that airlines from India and neighboring countries are operating their flights as scheduled and there has not been any cancellation.
