CII BLOG

Tourism in Lakshadweep: Scope and Challenges

Tourism in Lakshadweep
Tourism in Lakshadweep

Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s call last year to visit Lakshadweep for some adventure was enough to set the wheels in motion for increased tourism in this small island off-coast Indian mainland in the Arabian Sea. Known for its breathtaking landscapes, unspoiled beaches, and rich ecosystem. Lakshadweep has immense potential to emerge as a top destination globally. However, building the tourism in Lakshadweep comes with a unique set of challenges. 

Scope of Tourism Development in Lakshadweep 

Tourism in India has seen massive growth in last few years due to government initiatives like Swadesh Darshan Scheme, PRASHAD Scheme, Dekho Apna Desh and much more. These programs have not only helped increase domestic tourism in India, but also guided people to lesser known destination like Lakshadweep. The pristine archipelago hold immense potential for eco and adventure tourism if developed properly. 

A NITI Aayog document titled ‘Transforming the islands through Creativity and Innovation’ found that development of water villas in Lakshadweep will not only be economically beneficial, but also solve developmental problems being faced by the locals. With proper zoning and public private partnership, projects for responsible tourism, development of fisheries and export of seafood can be carried out for the economic growth of the islanders. 

The ongoing construction of the tent city in Thinnakkara and Bengaram Island is further expected to increase the accommodation capacity of tourists in the islands, providing a significant boost to tourism. This boost in tourism can help generate better revenues for islanders and improve their standard of living. 

The island also has great potential as an adventure spot with activities like snorkelling, scuba diving, wind surfing, kayaking and much more. With its unpolluted lagoons and colourful corals, it is comparable to experiences one can find in Indonesia or Maldives. 

With the government allocating funds in the Budget to specially push tourism infrastructure and ecotourism in the islands, there is no doubt that in the coming years, it will become a major tourist hub for domestic as well as foreign travellers. 

Challenges in Lakshadweep Tourism Development 

While tourism in Lakshadweep has great potential, it also poses some challenges- 

  1. Infrastructure: Basic facilities like accommodation, transport and medical services are still underdeveloped in the islands, limiting its capacity to handle large volumes of tourists. 
  2. Lack of Land: Being an archipelago, there is an inherent lack of land, restricting construction activities. Moreover, not all islands in Lakshadweep are accessible to common public for security reasons and interest of the local population. 
  3. Fragile Ecosystem: The most important cost of tourism in the island is the impact on its ecosystem. There has to be a delicate balance between the environment and development in Lakshadweep as over tourism can lead to aggravated climate-change related disasters, killing of corals and rise of water levels. 
  4. Lack of Freshwater: The increase in number of people on the islands along with unsystematic sewage system and pollution has depleted the drinking water quality in the islands. Furthermore, climate change has also impacted the health of freshwater layer. Even with construction of desalination plants, the demand for water with increased tourism is not a long term solution. 
  5. Local Concerns: One of the biggest concerts for the locals is the fear of losing their land and culture with over-tourism. As the majority of population there depend on fishing, they are afraid that building of villas and tent cities will limit their access to the beach and water, thus impacting their livelihood negatively. Locals are also advocating to be involved in the decision making process and benefiting from this tourism boom. 

Tourism in Lakshadweep poses an important challenge for policymakers and government who will have to finely balance the developmental activities to promote economic well-being with environmental policies to safeguard the ecology. The road to sustainable development in the island has to be a collaborative effort between the officials, private companies and locals. Restricting the number of people who can enter the island and using subtle ways to control over-tourism are important to manage this balance. 

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