New Delhi: Months after it cancelled reservations and stopped bookings to Maldives in a ‘Nation First’ stance post diplomatic tensions, online travel aggregator EaseMyTrip drew flak for apparently resuming the bookings.
The company had initially halted bookings on 8 January, citing the need to support the Indian government during a tense period of strained relations with Malé.
The bookings drew criticism after a few social media users were quick to call out the ‘hypocrisy’ of the company. This led to its founder Nishant Patti issuing a statement, refusing the the allegations.
When asked by a user why the portal had resumed bookings, Patti posted on social media platform X, “It was a tech issue in a build recently uploaded to production.” The issue had been resolved, he added.
It was a tech issue in a build recently uploaded to production. This issue has now been resolved. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Additionally, we will be offering a full refund and free domestic destination tickets to customers who have booked.
— Nishant Pitti (@nishantpitti) May 26, 2024
In January, the company had said that it would maintain the ‘status quo for foreseeable future’ even after the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators made a request to reinstate flight bookings, highlighting that the absence of Indian visitors would significantly impact the livelihoods of a substantial portion of the population reliant on tourism.
However, multiple individuals on social media circulated screenshots displaying the available booking options on the online platform.
While one user posted about the resumption of flights, another pointed out that the co-founder had also sent direct messages about the ban on flights. “Nation First” – only as long as it gets you media/marketing leverage,” the user wrote.
The diplomatic tension escalated following derogatory remarks made by three Maldivian leaders against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January. This led to a social media campaign calling for a boycott of the Maldives.
According to news reports, the online platform in May announced a consolidated loss of Rs 15.07 crore for the March quarter, in contrast to a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 31.05 crore during the same period last year.
ThePrint reached out to authorities for comment but had not received a response at the time of publishing. The report will be updated as and when the response is received.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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