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Tourism Potential in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Context:
A Parliament Standing Committee on Home Affairs has recommended that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) explore the tourism potential of uninhabited islands in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, following a sharp rise in visitor numbers to the Union Territory (UT).
More Findings
- In its report on demand for grants, tabled in Parliament last week, the committee highlighted that tourist arrivals in the UT nearly doubled in 2024, reaching 721,000 compared to 332,000 in 2023.
- Officials from the region informed the committee on February 21 that the opening of the Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) at Veer Savarkar International Airport in Sri Vijaya Puram in August 2023 significantly boosted the airport’s annual passenger handling capacity from 0.75 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 5 million MPPA.
- The Committee feels that there are several uninhabited islands in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with pristine beaches and significant eco-tourism potential.
- It recommends that the UT administration explore opportunities to develop tourism-related activities in these islands and promote them as tourist destinations to accommodate the growing number of visitors.
- Additionally, the committee has directed the MHA to submit a report on the impact of tourism development on revenue generation and the socio-economic growth of local communities.
- The benefits of economic growth in the UT must also reach the local population, who equally deserve to reap its reward.
- The committee noted that while historical records suggested the UT comprised 526 islands, recent surveys have revised this figure to 836.
- Of these, fewer than 240 islands are believed to be inhabited.
- Some islands, such as North Sentinel Island, remain off-limits to both tourists and government agencies due to the presence of the Sentinelese, one of the world’s last uncontacted tribes, with an estimated population of 50 to 250 individuals.
