Lakshadweep: Will India’s ‘Maldives’ be able to host tourists on a large scale?
An unexpected row erupted after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Indian island of Lakshadweep earlier this month, which strained relations with neighboring Maldives. The dispute has also increased tourist interest in the chain of small islands, which has worried environmentalists and many local people.
During his visit to Lakshadweep, a federally administered territory north of the Maldives in the Arabian Sea, Narendra Modi had announced several development projects and shared pictures of himself enjoying its beaches.
Three Maldivian Deputy Ministers made disparaging remarks about him, sparking outrage on Indian social media and many highlighting Lakshadweep as an alternative tourist destination.
This reaction on Indian social media seems to be working. When it comes to Google searches for Lakshdeep, these are the words that are starting to be searched, and Lakshdeep reached its highest level ever last week. MakeMyTrip, India’s largest online travel company, has said that searches for Lakshdeep on its platform have increased by 3,400 percent since Modi’s visit.
The area’s government administrator, Praful Patel, whose controversial policies sparked “outcry” from locals in Lakshadweep a few years ago, has welcomed the attention.
The natural beauty of Lakshadweep has immense potential and opportunities for the development of the tourism sector. The administration has taken several steps in this regard.
The Tata Group has announced plans to build two ‘world-class’ resorts on two islands in Lakshadweep by 2026 (the island has 36 islands, of which only 10 are inhabited and spread over 32 sq km). The only airline flying to Lakshadweep has started additional flights and plans to start another service soon.
But experts say that Lakshadweep, known for its beautiful silver beaches, blue waters and coral islands, cannot be developed as a major tourist destination like the Maldives because of its small size and The environment is also not very conducive. Many local people also say they need responsible tourism in which they are partners, not large-scale development projects that will change their way of life.
According to a government website, ‘the main occupation of the people is fishing, coconut farming,’ which describes tourism as an ’emerging industry’ here.
Before the introduction of additional flights, there were only two ways to reach the island, a 72-seater aircraft operated by Alliance Air that flew daily from Kochi in the state of Kerala to Lakshadweep’s sole airport on Agathi Island, and Ships from the mainland came every four days.
Entry to Lakshadweep is also restricted by permits issued by the administration.
“Transportation, housing and land-based infrastructure is a huge hurdle (in the development of the islands),” says PP Muhammad Faizal of the Nationalist Congress Party, the sole member of parliament representing about 70,000 people in Lakshadweep. .’
“Bangaram, the island where PM Modi stayed, has only 36 rooms (for tourists),” he says.
Therefore, much of the current tourism to the area is driven by cruises, with visitors from ships anchored at the island visiting the islands during the day and returning to the ship for the night.
In contrast, there are hundreds of options for tourists to stay in the Maldives, including resorts, hotels and guesthouses.
Faizal says that what the Maldives has, Lakshadweep can offer through beaches, underwater and water sports activities. But in terms of infrastructure, we have miles to go.
Any progress, he added, would need to resolve differences between the administration and the islanders.
Lakshadweep is 96 percent Muslim and the island has been under tension since Patel, a former leader of Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was appointed Lakshadweep’s administrator in 2021.
He has since announced controversial measures including removing meat from school lunch menus and a draft law that gives the administration broad powers to seize land.
The media contacted Patel’s office, the collector of Lakshadweep and its tourism and information departments by phone and email, but received no response.
In the interview, Patel has defended the policies of his administration saying that his only agenda is the development of Lakshadweep.
Althaf Hussain, who runs a travel agency on Agati Island, says that inquiries from potential tourists have increased by 30 to 40 percent since Modi’s visit.
Although he would welcome more guests, Hussain, who hopes to set up his own resort on Agati in the future, says the opportunities should go to local entrepreneurs, not just big businesses.
“We may get small jobs as these projects come in, but we don’t want that,” he adds. We want to have ownership in these projects and not just labour.’
Any development in Lakshadweep will need to balance livelihood concerns with climate change fears, experts say.
“The long-term sustainability of the Lakshadweep Islands depends on the ecological integrity of its coral reefs, lagoons and beaches,” says Rohan Arthur, a coral reef ecologist with a keen eye for marine biology and research on the islands since 1996. adds ‘These form the vital ‘ecological infrastructure’ that holds the region together, quite literally.’
But they say that this part of the Indian Ocean has experienced catastrophic heat waves over the past few decades, linked to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (NSO) weather phenomenon (sea surface warming). which has affected the health of coral reefs.
An even bigger NSO is expected this year, so he “dreads to think what it will do to the rocks of Lakshadweep.”
Unplanned or piecemeal development that lacks climate resilience will only add to the housing crisis in Lakshadweep, he says.
So what would sustainable tourism look like here?
Experts and locals agree that instead of luxury tourism, which leaves a disproportionate carbon footprint, the island needs a model that puts its fragile ecosystem and the needs of its people at the center. keep
Faisal says the islands already have “opportunities for development”, in the form of a plan presented by the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Ravindran Commission. It was approved by the Federal Ministry of Environment in 2015.
Patel has said that the plan has been implemented but Faizal claims that the current administration rarely follows the directions set by the court.
Implementation of development projects in consultation with selected local self-governing bodies in the Integrated Island Management Plan, prohibition of dredging and sand mining to protect lagoons, corals and other ecosystems and implementation of tourism projects only in uninhabited islands. is recommended.
Tourists will also need to visit with a more responsible mindset.
Rohan Arthur travels to Lakshadweep to help tourists understand its deep cultural history, eat food sustainably prepared and cooked with local recipes, explore the reef with local guides and divers, and experience the long-term nature of these unique places. What’s involved in becoming a Survival Ambassador?
“It may be possible to imagine a tourism that supports and respects local economies and allows tourists to participate in village life,” he says.