Foreign tourists arrive in a resort in the Kurumba island in Maldives. File / aP

Tourism makes up nearly one-third of the economy in the archipelago nation, known for its upscale resorts and celebrity visitors, with Indians making up the largest share of foreign arrivals.

Racy photos by Bollywood starlets and social media influencers vacationing in the Maldives are also a regular source of fodder for tabloids and online news sites in India.

A general view shows people at a beach in Hulhumale, Maldives. AFP

Pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu’s administration has been scrambling to contain a diplomatic row with India after three of its junior ministers reportedly called Modi a “clown” and a “terrorist” in since-deleted social media posts last week.

Bollywood actors and some of India’s cricket greats have responded with calls for their compatriots to boycott their southern neighbour and instead book their next holiday closer to home.

“Why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate?” Akshay Kumar, one of Indian cinema’s most bankable actors, wrote Monday on X in a post since viewed more than 6.5 million times.

“I’ve visited the Maldives many times and always praised it, but dignity first,” he added, urging other Indians to “support our own tourism.”

National cricket vice-captain Hardik Pandya said he was “extremely sad to see what’s being said about India” and that he was planning his next holiday at a beach in his country.

EaseMyTrip, a platform with nearly 10 percent of the market share for online travel bookings in India, joined the boycott on Monday by suspending flight bookings to the archipelago.

The row has continued despite Muizzu suspending the ministers Sunday, with local media reporting that the Maldivian envoy was summoned to the foreign ministry in New Delhi the following day.

The Maldives’ main tourism industry body issued a statement strongly condemning the ministers for their remarks and stressing the economic importance of Indian visitors.

“It is our sincere wish that the close relationship between our two nations endures for generations to come and as such, we refrain from actions or speech that may have any negative impact on our good relationship,” it said.

The ministers’ comments were prompted by a social media post by Modi in which he praised the “pristine beaches” of Lakshadweep, an Indian island not far from the Maldives which his government has sought to promote as a tourist destination.

Agence France-Presse