Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) has partnered with Indian music artist and television personality Badshah as part of a campaign to promote the Maldives in the Indian market.

Badshah, who is also a judge on Indian Idol and VMC's Cultural Ambassador, recently completed a four-day content production trip in the Maldives hosted by Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa. VMC said the campaign is intended to increase the destination's visibility in India and encourage more Indian travellers to visit the Maldives through digital content.

During the visit, Badshah experienced a range of tourism activities, including marine excursions, private yacht trips, wellness experiences, dining and cultural activities. Content produced during the collaboration will be released on his social media platforms in the coming weeks, including an Instagram Reel, carousel posts, Instagram Stories and a YouTube vlog.

VMC's Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Ibrahim Shiuree said India remains one of the Maldives' most important tourism markets. He said the partnership is intended to increase interest in the destination among Indian travellers by highlighting the variety of experiences available, including luxury holidays, honeymoons, family trips, wellness retreats and adventure tourism.

India was the Maldives' largest source market between 2020 and 2023. Tourist arrivals from India reached 291,787 in 2021, 241,382 in 2022, and 209,193 in 2023, accounting for 11.1 per cent of total arrivals that year.

VMC said India continues to be a priority market due to its proximity, strong air connectivity and growing outbound travel demand. The organisation added that the market supports various segments of the tourism industry, including resorts, guesthouses, local islands and liveaboards.

The collaboration comes as India's outbound travel market continues to expand. The World Travel & Tourism Council forecasts that outbound travel spending by Indian travellers will increase from USD 34.6 billion in 2025 to USD 71.8 billion by 2036.

As of 19 July, the Maldives had recorded 1,154,980 tourist arrivals this year, including 68,933 visitors from India. Indian tourists accounted for 6 per cent of total arrivals, making India the Maldives' sixth-largest source market.

VMC said partnerships with public figures, airlines, travel companies, digital platforms, media organisations and tourism industry stakeholders will continue as part of efforts to increase visitor arrivals from India.