‘Explore tourism in uninhabited islands of A&N’
Parliament's home affairs committee urges exploring tourism on uninhabited Andaman and Nicobar Islands, noting a surge in visitors and potential eco-tourism.
A department related parliament standing committee on home affairs has asked the ministry to explore the tourism potential of “uninhabited islands” in Andaman and Nicobar Islands buoyed by the rise in tourist footfall in the Union territory.
The committee, in its report on demand of grants tabled in Parliament last week, said that the number of tourists visiting the UT nearly doubled in 2024 to 721,000 from 332,000 in 2023.
Representatives from the region informed the committee on February 21 that after the opening of the Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) at Veer Savarkar International Airport, Sri Vijaya Puram, in August 2023, the annual passenger handling capacity of the airport increased from 0.75 million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) to 5 million MPPA, the report said.
“The Committee feels that there are a number of islands in the UT of Andaman and Nicobar Islands which are not inhabited but have beautiful beaches and potential for eco-tourism. The Committee recommends that UT administration may explore the opportunity of development of the tourism related activities in these islands and develop them as tourist destination for the growing number of tourists in the UT,” the report said.
The Committee has asked WHOM? for a report on the impact of development in the tourism sector on revenue generation in the UT and on socio economic growth of the local people.
“The benefits of economic growth in the UT must also percolate to the local population as they equally deserve to reap those benefits,” the report said.
According to the committee, historically the UT was believed to have 526 islands but subsequent surveys revised the number to 836. Of these, less than 240 islands are believed to be inhabited.
Some islands, such as the North Sentinel Island, are out of bounds for tourists and also government agencies because it is home to the world’s one of the last uncontacted tribes — Sentinelese — who have an estimated population between 50 and 250.
“The Committee appreciates the action of the Government agencies which were involved in the geographical survey of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which revealed the existence of 836 islands in place of the hitherto 572 islands in the UT of A&NI and recommends that full potential of these islands may be explored for various economic and tourism related activities,” the report said.
