Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea, which caused a disagreement with the Maldives and sparked increased interest in tourism on the islands. This raised concerns among environmental experts and locals.
During his visit, Modi announced development projects and shared pictures of himself snorkeling and enjoying the beaches. Some Maldivian officials made disrespectful comments about him, leading to outrage on Indian social media. This, in turn, encouraged people to consider Lakshadweep as a tourist destination.
This approach appears to be effective, as Google searches for Lakshadweep reached an all-time high last week. MakeMyTrip, India’s largest online travel company, reported a 3,400% increase in searches for Lakshadweep after Modi’s visit.
Praful Patel, the region’s government administrator, welcomed the attention, highlighting the tourism potential of Lakshadweep. The Tata Group plans to open two “world-class” resorts on the islands by 2026, and airlines have increased or plan to launch more flights to the area.
Experts argue that developing Lakshadweep, known for its stunning silver beaches, crystal-clear waters, and coral islands, into a major tourist destination like the Maldives is not feasible due to its small size and delicate ecology. Many locals emphasize the importance of responsible tourism, where they are involved as stakeholders, rather than large-scale development plans that could disrupt their way of life.
The primary occupations of the people in Lakshadweep are fishing, coconut cultivation, and coir twisting, according to a government website that describes tourism as an “emerging industry” in the region.
Before additional flights were introduced, there were only two ways to reach the archipelago: a 72-seater plane from Kochi in Kerala to Lakshadweep’s only airport on Agatti island and ships from the mainland arriving every four days. Entry to Lakshadweep is also restricted by permits issued by the administration.
PP Mohammed Faizal, the sole MP representing around 70,000 people in Lakshadweep from the Nationalist Congress Party, points out challenges in transportation, accommodation, and land-based infrastructure, hindering the islands’ development. He mentions that Bangaram, the island where PM Modi stayed, has only 36 rooms for tourists.
Currently, much of the territory’s tourism relies on cruises, where visitors from anchored ships tour the islands during the day and return to the vessel for overnight stays.
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