Lakshadweep is one of the most pristine beach destinations of the country. While Goa and Andamans have become over crowded, the rather untouched beauty of the various islands of Lakshadweep can be your next preferred destination for a perfect tropical holiday. A report by SURFACES REPORTER.
New Hospitality Options
Lakshadweep, India’s smallest Union Territory, is an archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian Sea, and is known for its scenic beauty with exotic beaches, coral reefs and lagoons. It is a haven for water sports including scuba diving, windsurfing, snorkelling, surfing, water skiing, and yachting.
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, during his recent visit to the island has launched a slew of projects worth Rs 1,156 crore that will put the islands on the world tourism map.
These include the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fibre Connection (KLI - SOFC) project which aims to overcome the slow internet speed and increase it more than 100 times from 1.7 Gbps to 200 Gbps. Other projects launched by him include Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plant at Kadmat, solar power plant at Kavaratti and more.
Rebranding Lakshadweep as the hub of Eco-tourism
Way back in 2021, the government has started the process of rebranding the Lakshadweep as the hub of eco-tourism by launching the development scheme of Water Villas and Beach villas on the Kadmat, Suheli and Minicoy islands.
Under the aegis of Niti Aayog, the plan is to take a scientific approach to ensure that the eco-tourism projects strike a balance between protection of the fragile coral ecosystem and the need to improve the islanders' livelihood opportunities. To be developed under PPP model, the company will get 75 years for the operation and management of the project. The total estimatedcost of project is around Rs 813 Cr.
Last year, the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu has also praised the natural beauty of Lakshadweep and spoke about its potential as an attractive tourist destination during an event held at Kavaratti.
She noted that the Administration is engaged in the development of high-end eco-tourism projects at Kadmat, Minicoy and Suheli as anchor projects under the aegis of NITI Aayog. She said that it is a matter of pride that India’s first water villas are going to be built in the blue lagoons of this Union Territory. She said these innovative initiatives in the field of tourism would boost the face of tourism in a big way. More importantly, it can emerge as a model of ecotourism for the whole world.
In January 2023, IHCL announced two Taj-branded resorts on the islands of Suheli and Kadmat in Lakshadweep. Operated by IHCL, these greenfield projects will be operational by January 2026.
The Taj at Suheli will have 110 rooms including 60 villas on the beach and 50 water villas. A coral island with a large lagoon, Kadmat Island is also known as Cardamom Island. Featuring 110 rooms, the Taj hotel at Kadmat will comprise of 75 beach villas and 35 water villas.
Currently, Bangaram Island Resort, White Pearl Beach Resort, Agatti Island and Kadmat Beach Resort are some of the hot favourites of the people visiting Lakshadweep. However, with the current scenario in mind, Lakshadweep will soon see a lot of hospitality projects and be a preferred holiday destination.
Why Eco-Tourism is the only way ahead for Lakshadweep
The Lakshadweep archipelago which has 35 islands among which only 10 are inhabited, has a very unique geographical and ecological conditions. The fragile ecosystem and coral reefs around the island have witnessed four major El Nino Southern Oscillation-related temperature anomalies in the past two decades (1998, 2010, 2016 and 2019), and three catastrophic cyclones in the last four years (Ockhi, Maha and Tauktae).
This has resulted in massive coral bleaching. This has been informed by the Lakshadweep Research Collective, a team of ecologists and marine biologists in a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind in 2021.
Already, the recovery rate of the affected reefs is slowing down according to the research paper published in Springer Journal in 2018. According to many environmentalists, the climate change and change in sea surface temperature is adversely affecting the delicate eco system of reefs, living coral framework and lagoons surrounding the archipelago that buffer the islands from waves, storms, land loss and saline ingress into groundwater.
Hence, if government is planning mass tourism activities, it needs to understand the requirements of the islands and create a delicate balance between the ecological system.