Analysing the Role of Social Media in the #BoycottMaldives Movement and Its Effects on Tourism

Abstract: This paper explores how social media activism, particularly boycotting, has reshaped consumer behaviour and altered destination perception in the Maldives, resulting in significant economic and diplomatic effects on tourism.

Key Words: Maldives, boycott, hashtags, twitter, consumer behaviour.

Between 2018 and 2024, the Maldives experienced a notable decline in tourism due to boycott tourism, largely driven by social media activism. As awareness of the country’s political landscape grew, consumers increasingly chose to avoid the destination as an act of protest. Scholars define boycott tourism as strategic campaign that leverages public sentiment to challenge socio-political issues, often influenced by political organisations (Yunus et al., 2020). The integration of digital media and advocacy, particularly through viral posts, hashtags and online narratives, has amplified its impact, reshaping destination perception and influencing travel decisions.

The social media platform Twitter, sees an increasingly significant used platform for consumers to post and tweet, attracts dynamic groups to post, capturing sediments regarding personal experiences (Seyfi, et al., 2024). The role of twitter and hashtags are a mean of communication during boycotting tourism crises and campaigns, highlighting the dissemination of important information. Encouraging tourists’ perspectives in either a positive or negative perception. The case study of the Maldives highlights how boycotting can have a significant effect on tourism, and how political decisions can dramatically change the perspective of tourists. The boycotts in Maldives began with a political stance, leading to widespread outrage among Indian citizens, spreading globally through hashtags like #BoycottMaldives.

This paper aims to investigate the tourism decline and the broader implications for Maldives, and how their tourism industry was/ still is affected by the #BoycottMaldives campaign used on the social media site Twitter. Data collected from posts, posted on Twitter between the 08th of January 2024 and the 26th of October 2024 have been analysed to investigate how the hashtags have affected consumer behaviour. The qualitative paradigm approach was taken to understand the multi-dimensional framework of social media, furthermore, to enhance the rich data collection methods (Nautiyal et al., 2023). In total 61 hashtags were collected and analysed through themes. Each hashtag collected was related and/or responded to the #BoycottMaldives tweets on twitter, which used the inductive approach, identifying themes. This conference paper will focus on the themes of, Consumer Behaviour and Social Media Activism, and Political and Diplomatic Relations.

The theme of consumer behaviour and social media activism was found as the most common theme, the theme identified that most hashtags used were made by potential/previous tourists cancelling, rebooking and regretting their visit to the Maldives. Illustrating that the theme captures the actions of tourists who choose to cancel and rebook in other destinations, including Malaysia and the Lakshadweep Island. The impact of the political decisions in the Maldives, reflects how much social media can influence travel choices for tourists globally and not just the countries that are affected by the political debates. The power of hashtags and social media platforms amplifies the sense of solidarity among tourists, shaping the way consumers react (Seyi, et al., 2024). Additionally, other hashtags reflect on the strong sense of nationalism and relations through the political and diplomatic relations theme. The use of emotions through hashtags reflects on the statements of India and the citizens that live there, highlighting the emotional network the individuals have for their nation. The Indian influence of boycotting Maldives saw a decline in tourists globally during the years 2020-2022, analysing the power of social media and the modern techniques used by tourists to create activism towards a destination.

The data collected analyses the decision making and the interconnection of social sciences on social media, with the influence of hashtags on Twitter. The findings underscore the growing influence of social media, investigating that the use of hashtags is used as a dynamic tool for consumer activism. Highlighting the capability of driving significant economic and social changes in global tourism shaping how destinations are perceived, influencing consumer choices and shifting travel trends.

The study highlights how social media activism, particularly boycott movements driven by hashtags, can significantly influence consumer behaviour, reshaping destinations image, reputation and public stance. Creating lasting economic and diplomatic impacts on global tourism.

Nautiyal, R., Albercht, N.J., and Carr, A. (2022) Can destination image be ascertained from social media? An examination of Twitter Hashtags. 23 (4), Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584221119380 [accessed 02 April 2025].

Seyfi, S., Gorji, A.S., Kuhzady, S., Hall, M., and Senbeto, D, L. (2024). Dissecting Destination boycotts: Unpacking ethical dilemmas in politicized tourism. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management. 34 (1), Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2024.100950 [accessed 26 April 2025].

Yunus, A. M., Chik, W. M. Y. W., Abd Wahid, N., Daud, K. A., Abd Hamid, M. N. (2020). The Concept of Boycott: A General Introduction. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 10(9), 962-971. [accessed 25 April 2025].

The paper presents an analysis of how digital activism, created via boycott tourism and the use of hashtags on platforms like Twitter, has reshaped consumer behaviour and influenced the global perception of the Maldives. Via tracking and analysing 61 hashtags from the 2024 campaign period, the paper shows how politically charged narratives develop online and prompt potential tourists to cancel or change their plans. The study highlights the influence of social media on local political issues, transforming them into global economic interests, reinforcing the notion that consumer choices in tourism are increasingly swayed by digital discourse. In doing so, it situates the #BoycottMaldives campaign within a greater context of politically motivated boycotts, to challenge socio-political issues and demand accountability.

The paper links social media activism with shifts in tourism, however important considerations should be made about the broader repercussions of such boycott campaigns as the revenue being harmed may more so affect the citizens than the Government. This prompts reflection on the moral and practical implications of boycotts (Seyfi and Hall, 2019). Future research on these new campaigns would benefit from using a holistic approach that considers these local economic impacts alongside the larger influences.

Moreover, the paper's qualitative secondary data collection invites insights into the mechanics of digital consumer activism. However, corroborating these findings with literature and data, such as surveys or interviews, would deepen the understanding of the effects of boycott campaigns and reinforce the secondary data collected. This would enable a expansive exploration of how boycott tourism can be managed in a way that balances the call for human rights reforms with the economic well-being of local communities.

The discussion paper offers an insightful analysis of the role of digital activism in shaping global tourism dynamics through the lens of the Maldives' experience with tourism boycotts. It highlights the transformative potential of social media in mobilising group action and recreating a destinations reputation (Jurich, 2017). However, future emphasis could be placed upon the unintended consequences of such boycotts. Through using an approach that balances political accountability with economic sustainability, future boycotts can manoeuvre digital activism to drive positive diplomatic changes while protecting the livelihoods of communities reliant on tourism.

Seyfi, S. and Hall C.M. (2019). Tourism, Sanctions and Boycotts. (1). Routledge. [accessed 20 May 2025].
Jurich, R. (2017) 'Digital Activism: Social Media and Political Change', Journal of Political Communication, 32(4), pp. 232-250 [accessed 20 May 2025].