Lakshadweep to open three uninhabited islands for tourists

Lakshadweep has decided to open three uninhabited islands exclusively for tourists after building beach resorts and water sports facilities. Each of these tiny islands occupy an area of about 40-50 hectares of land and is devoid of any human settlement so far, but have glistering silver sand beaches and abundant marine life, coral reefs in particular. “They are completely virgin and serene islands and that is why they will be so special for tourists who are looking for exclusivity in their trip. The charm of staying here would be unparalleled,” Hussain said. The sandy beaches have clear and unpolluted water, unlike other beaches of India. The Union Territory’s Tourism Department will build resorts here on a PPP (public-private-partnership) model, the tenders for which will be out in the next few months.

Giving adventure-loving tourists adrenaline rush, water sports facilities planned on these islands include scuba diving, jet ski watercraft, snorkelling, rafting, windsurfing, deep-sea fishing and yachting. They are also trying to start operating sea planes, which are capable of taking off and landing on water. “Ours is a high-value but low-volume tourist destination. We ensure that the fragile ecology of Lakshadweep is not damaged by tourism,” Tourism Department officials said. Last year, there were only 17,000 tourists to the chain of islands.