Katrina Kaif named as global brand ambassador of Maldives tourism

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) announced on Tuesday, June 10, that Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif will serve as the country's new global brand ambassador for tourism, according to media reports.

The move comes just a month before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the Maldives in July, and is seen as a strategic effort to revitalize tourism and repair international relations, particularly with India.

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Kaif's appointment is central to the Maldives' Summer Sale Campaign for Visit Maldives, which is designed to attract tourists from key markets including the UK, Russia, and the Commonwealth of Independence States (CIS), the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Italy, Poland, Spain, and notably India - where Kaif enjoys immense popularity.

The campaign features exclusive travel packages and digital initiatives aimed at boosting summer bookings and maintaining the Maldives' status as a top global destination.

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The announcement marks a significant step forward for the Maldives, which is still recovering from a diplomatic row with India that erupted in January 2024. At that time, derogatory remarks by Maldivian officials against Prime Minister Modi led to calls for a boycott of the Maldives by Indian tourists, who make up one of the largest visitor groups to the archipelago.

However, relations improved later in the year, with both countries signing a series of Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in October 2024.

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