Lakshadweep has witnessed a remarkable surge in tourist arrivals over the past few years. From just 3,875 tourists in 2020, the number rose to 46,551 in 2023 and reached an all-time high of 68,328 in 2024 — a 47% increase in a single year.

This boom followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep in January 2024, which went viral on social media. Subsequently, a controversy erupted when Maldivian ministers made derogatory comments against the PM, triggering a nationwide #BoycottMaldives campaign in India. Celebrities, influencers, and travel platforms joined the movement, turning Lakshadweep into a national tourism hotspot overnight.

Meanwhile, the Maldives suffered a major blow. Indian tourist arrivals in the Maldives plummeted from 2,09,193 in 2023 to 1,30,805 in 2024 — a decline of 37.5%. India was the Maldives’ largest tourism market.

While the government has provided tourism data up to 2024 through an RTI response filed in 2026, 2025 figures have not yet been released.