In the aftermath of the boycott Maldives, online travel aggregator EaseMyTrip has restarted online flight and hotel bookings, after it suspended it in support of government during January’s India-Maldives row.
After netizens took notice of this resumption, they couldn’t help, but call out the alleged hypocrisy and selectivity displayed by the company.
“Nation First” – only as long as it gets you media/marketing leverage.
Did I miss an announcement on when they backtracked on their boycott?
Exhibit: EaseMyTrip 🤡 pic.twitter.com/xFEyUtADUW
— Jay (@thetrickytrade) May 26, 2024
Taking to X, one user managed to pass a snide saying, ”Nation First’ – only as long as it gets you media/marketing leverage. Did I miss an announcement on when they backtracked on their boycott?”
But later, the co-founder of the company Nishant Pitti issued a clarification, emphasizing, that the company hasn’t removed boycott and will issue an announcement if it decides so, in the future.
We will make an announcement when we remove the boycott. Attaching a screenshot taken just now for reference for flight search and hotel search page !! pic.twitter.com/RHNyi3LaBz
— Nishant Pitti (@nishantpitti) May 26, 2024
Earlier on January 8, the online travel company had halted flight bookings to the Maldives indefinitely, following critical social media posts, which were made on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by three Maldivian ministers, as a result, it worsened the relations between the two neighboring countries.
Later, talking about this move, co-founder Rikant Pitti in an interview with mint said,
“As a company with significant influence, we acknowledged our duty to preserve the honour of our nation. Recognizing the vital role tourism plays in the Maldives’ economy, particularly with the substantial support it receives from India, where we stand as the second-largest contributor, we understood the significance and took a stand. Despite the potential impact on our business, our dedication to upholding our country’s reputation took precedence. Hence, on the night of January 8th, we made the choice to halt our operations in the Maldives, a stance we unwaveringly maintain.”
