India-Maldives Row Gives Way to Unverified Claims About en Masse ‘Cancellations’

Amid a diplomatic row between India and the Maldives, several Indian social media users began a digital campaign to boycott the archipelagic country with the hashtag #BoycottMaldives, while promoting Indian destinations as alternatives for those wanting to travel.

With a flurry of social media users stating they had cancelled their travel and vacation plans to the Maldives, a dubious claim said that Indians had “so far” cancelled 10,500 hotel bookings and 5,520 flight tickets after Maldivian ministers made “abusive statements against PM Modi, India & Hindus. (sic)”

News organisation Mint had also shared similar numbers, albeit without a credible source, before retracting and mentioning that many social media users had claimed so.

However, there are no credible sources that cite these numbers. Going by social media posts, many Indians have cancelled travel plans to the Maldives, but the number appears to be exaggerated with no data to back it.