Some Obvious Policy Changes Can Make Lakshadweep The 'Next Big Thing' Of Indian Coastal Tourism

Coastal tourism is on the rise in India, and is projected to become one of the largest sectors of the overall ocean economy in the country, according to an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Developement (OECD) report. Marine and coastal tourism will contribute to 26 per cent of the Blue Economy overall.

This is one of the reasons why the Indian government is boosting coastal infrastructure. By 2030, more than a million tourists will visit the Indian cruise market.

India's neo middle-class is no longer your save-it-for-your-pension crowd. Their spending is shooting up significantly compared to their previous generations.

If recent social media trends are anything to go by, Lakshadweep seems like the latest go-to destination for this large population.

Here's what the people of Lakshadweep and the various tiers of administration can do to tap into this new-found demand.

Make it easier to get to the islands

Visiting countries in South and Southeast Asia costs almost the same as going to Lakshadweep, and is as easy logistically, or easier.

A 'X' user pointed out the obstacles one has to go through before he/she makes it to Lakshadweep. This writer is witness to the same. When the Science20 conference (G20's science vertical) was being held in the Bangaram islands — one among the many islands in Lakshadweep — there could only be 45 people flown into the island given that the aircraft was small and could only carry limited luggage onboard.

Infrastructure

Furthermore, there aren't enough hotels to accommodate a lot of people on a single island. When you reach Agatti by air, you are taken by a chopper or a boat to Bangaram.

Because of cultural compulsions, alcohol is only allowed to be consumed on Bangaram island. In fact, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep has been declared as a prohibited area under Lakshadweep Prohibition Regulation (1979) and carrying liquor into the islands is an offence.

IHCL has announced its plans to open two Taj resorts on two islands in Lakshadweep. The Taj at Suheli will have more than a hundred rooms, featuring 60 beachside villas and 50 water villas — similar to what you see in Mauritius and Maldives.

But they will not open at least for two more years.

Earlier in 2018, the Government of India had given a nod to a plan to open up at least a dozen islands in the archipelago. There was a plan to relax the requirement of a Restricted Area Permit, which was required to visit the island. The same was required earlier to visit areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim for foreign tourists.

Of all the islands in Lakshadweep, Kalpeni, Tinnakara, Suheli, Minicoy, Bangaram, Agatti are some islands which are accessible to Indian tourists today.

Ecologically cautious

If and when Lakshadweep is made more accessible to tourists from the mainland, measures would be needed to make the islands free of plastic. Many islands of the chain are ecologically sensitive and feature vulnerable coral reefs.

With infrastructure on the western coast receiving a boost from the Union government, there is no reason why Lakshadweep cannot be the next big thing in India's tourism.