April 26 (India Today) – Maldives has been trending on social media ever since Bollywood celebrities started flocking to the island country for exotic holidays. Since 2020, the pristine beaches, the blue waters and the breathtaking sky of the Maldives have been a constant on our social media feed.
Of course, in addition to the mesmerising photos of our very own stars. But there’s another reason Maldives has been trending for.
The Maldivian government has announced a travel ban on tourists from India from April 27. Ever since the announcement, the flurry of memes on celebs who have turned the Maldives into new Mumbai has overshadowed their gorgeous pictures from the location. But hold on, the celebration is unfounded.
Celebrities still have access to their Maldivian paradise and us commoners still have to accept their privilege. We break down the new travel advisory for you.
MALDIVES SUSPENDS TOURISTS FROM INDIA
The Ministry of Tourism of Maldives announced a suspension on travel of tourists from India to inhabited islands on April 25. The directive comes to effect on April 27. The tweet read, “With effect from 27 April @HPA_mv suspends tourists travelling from #India to #Maldives from staying at tourist facilities in inhabited islands.
We thank you for the support in our endeavour to make tourism safest possible with minimum inconvenience (sic).
TWITTER CELEBRATES, TROLLS BOLLYWOOD’S OBSESSION WITH THE MALDIVES
Things have changed for netizens who were gawking at the pictures of celebrities holidaying in the Maldives after the travel restrictions imposed to curb the novel coronavirus pandemic were lifted in 2020. They are not in the mood to consume the sun-kissed pictures of Bollywood stars alongside the deadly news of Covid-19 crisis in 2021.
Among the host of celebs who have vacationed in the Maldives since the pandemic started are Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Disha Patani, Sara Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Karan Singh Grover, and the list goes on and on.
So, once the new travel directive came from the government of the Maldives, Twitter rejoiced and we witnessed a meme fest. Here’s how Twitter had its fun with the announcement
WHY BOLLYWOOD’S EXOTIC HOLIDAY DESTINATION IS UNAFFECTED
Maldives has a one-island one-resort concept, which are all private and secluded. The Maldives archipelago is a collection of more than a thousand islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Once you land at the Velana airport, a speedboat or a seaplane takes you to your destination island, without actually visiting the capital city or the islands inhabited by the locals.
Therefore, Bollywood celebrities can still take off for a Maldives getaway and chill at their resort on their chosen island. Now, you can choose to live vicariously through their stunning photographs or criticise their privilege while you follow the ‘stay home, stay safe’ guideline.
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