Various initiatives taken to boost tourism in Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Chief Secy

Port Blair: The Andaman and Nicobar administration has taken numerous initiatives to attract more tourists to the archipelago, including granting access to uninhabited islands, allowing beaches to remain open till late night and reaching out to more airline operators, a top official said.

Speaking to PTI, Chief Secretary Keshav Chandra said that there will also be eco-friendly tourism infrastructure in four islands and 11 tourist sites.

"The administration has taken various initiatives towards promotion of tourism... like development of a five-star property at Megapode in Port Blair in PPP mode, leasing out land at Radha Nagar Beach in Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island)," he said.

"Beaches are now being opened during late night hours for tourists to enjoy the heavenly sight of the landscape as well as the bio-luminescence. Efforts are being made to reach out to more airline operators that will lead to competitive and affordable pricing of tickets for tourists," he added.

The administration is also exploring possibilities to have international connectivity from Port Blair, especially the Southeast Asian countries where the tourism sector is a significant part of the economy.

This could enable cheaper air connectivity to these countries owing to their proximity to Port Blair, Chandra said.

"We have also granted access to various uninhabited islands for tourism activities and as a part of it, Cinque Island has recently been opened for day tourism (in high value and low volume tourism categories). Seaplane services are going to be operated soon from Port Blair to various inter-island destinations.

"Various policies for the promotion of tourism activities like bird watching, caravan, houseboat and luxury tent accommodation are also in the final stages," the chief secretary said.

Measures are also being taken to improve the nightlife experience, and as part of it, a night-cruise dinner facility is already in existence at Port Blair, besides houseboat and night kayaking, Chandra added.