# Tour Companies Ask for Government Support After Largest Bank in Maldives Rejects Russian Payments

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/tour-companies-ask-for-government-support-after-largest-bank-in-maldives-rejects-russian-payments/
- Published: 2026-11-09T15:21:46+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T17:52:07+00:00
- Original publisher: The Moscow Times
- Original article: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/11/09/tour-companies-ask-for-government-support-after-largest-bank-in-maldives-rejects-russian-payments-a94211
- Topics: Europe, Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Maldives’ largest bank has rejected some Russian tourist payments.
- Delayed or returned transactions are estimated at $2 million.
- Russian operators warn they may scale back promotion and investment.

## Summary

Russia’s travel industry has asked its government to consult Maldivian officials after the Maldives’ largest bank began rejecting payments from Russian tourists. The disruption is leaving some hotel bills unpaid and could affect a major source of tourism revenue for the islands.

The Bank of Maldives has returned payments since 18 October, with delayed or rejected transactions estimated at $2 million; some involve overseas intermediaries. Russian operators report paying repeated transaction fees, while some visitors have had to pay twice for rooms or risk eviction. Russia was the Maldives’ second-largest tourism market after China, with 258,100 visitors, or 14.3% of arrivals, from January to October. The average Russian package booking costs about 585,600 roubles ($7,000), and industry leaders say operators may reconsider promotion and investment if the issue persists.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.