Indian rapper and Indian Idol judge Badshah has come to Maldives to promote the island country's tourism in India.
As per a statement released by Visit Maldives, Badshah has been made the Cultural Ambassador in Visit Maldives' efforts aimed at the Indian market this year, with him having concluded a four-day trip to Maldives.
The trip was hosted by Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa in Haa Alifu Atoll.
Visit Maldives stated the four-day trip was a part of their effort in connecting an influential cultural figure from India with one of the most popular destinations in the world. Visit Maldives said the campaign was designed to increase the popularity of Maldives in India, encourage Indian tourists to travel to Maldives and in advertising Maldives' beauty with the aid of digital resources.
Visit Maldives went on to say that India is an important market for Maldives' tourism industry, and as the popularity of Maldives among Indian tourists increases with ease of travel, the number of tourists from India will increase as well.
Visit Maldives said that Maldives is the best destination for Indian tourists for honeymoons, families, luxury travelers, wedding ceremonies and corporate trips.
Visit Maldives goes on to say that Badshah is a popular musician in India and across South Asia, with billions of streams regarding his music and videos. Along with music, he has influence in fashion, lifestyle and the entertainment industry and because of that, he is the most adequate individual to advertise Maldives to the new generation of travelers.
During his visit, Badshah experienced Maldives' hospitality, water adventures, luxury yacht trips and Maldivian culture. The aim of the campaign was to showcase Maldives not just as a luxury destination, but as a complete destinatinon for family, romantic and adventure vacations.
As per Visit Maldives, the content Badshah created under this collaboration will be released on his social media platforms over the coming weeks. This includes Instagram reels, posts and YouTube vlogs.
Visit Maldives CEO Ibrahim Shiuree said that India is not just a place where tourists come from, it is also an important market for the future of Maldivian tourism.
"This effort we began with Badshah is an important investment in fostering connections with Indian travelers. Our aim is to make use of Badshah's popularity and remind Indian travelers that Maldives is a destination that is close by and easy to travel to, where they can experience many different things," as was said by Shiuree.
According to Visit Maldives, the campaign is moving forward at a time the number of people traveling from India has been increasing at a quick pace. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimated that expenditure from Indian travelers was at USD 34.6 billion last year, and they estimate this figure will reach USD 71.8 billion in 2036.
68,933 Indian tourists have come to Maldives this year as of Sunday, which is 6 percent of the total number of tourists who have come to Maldives this year.
The highest number of tourists who came to Maldives in 2020, 2021 and 2022 were from India. However, that number dropped significantly in 2023, with more than 200,000 tourists traveling to Maldives that year.
